THE ESSENTIAL
- Carbohydrates, vegetable proteins, little meat: these are the main lines of the “longevity diet”
- Close to the Mediterranean diet, it is distinguished by periods of fasting
Yes, the “longevity diet” exists! Dietary practices may offer a better chance of living longer. That’s according to Prof. Valter Longo of the University of South Carolina following he and his team analyzed hundreds of studies on nutrition, disease and longevity combined with their own work on aging. Their article was published in the journal Cell.
“We have explored the link between nutrients, fasting, genes and longevity in short-lived species and connected these links with clinical and epidemiological studies in humans including centenarians and we can thus begin to define a longevity diet which represents a solid basis for nutritional recommendations”, specifies Professor Valter Longo.
Fasting periods
So, concretely, what should we eat to live as long as possible? Answer, according to the authors of this work: a moderate to high intake of carbohydrates from unrefined sources, protein from mainly vegetable sources, some vegetable fats for energy needs, and all this with meals spread over an 11-hour window. at 12 noon with, every 3 to 4 months, a 5 day cycle of fasting diet to help reduce insulin resistance.
So much for the theory. In practice, this results in plates including vegetables, some fish, white meat but no red meat or deli meats, low-sugar seeds, nuts, olive oil and dark chocolate!
A diet similar to the Mediterranean diet
To validate – or not – these elements, the researchers wish to carry out a new study involving 500 people and which will take place in the south of Italy. A place that is not determined by chance but because the “longevity diet” has similarities – but also some differences – with the Mediterranean diet quite widely practiced in this region. Like Sardinia, the island of Okinawa in Japan or the Loma Linda region of California, southern Italy has a large number of centenarians in communities that practice low-protein diets. “Our longevity diet represents an evolution of these diets with our recommendation to limit consumption to a 12-hour window per day and to have several fasting periods in the year”, underlines Valter Longo.
But is such a diet suitable for everyone? “It must be adapted according to sex, age, state of health and genetics”, admits the author who cites as an example people over 65 who may need more protein to preserve their body mass. And he adds the importance of being accompanied by a health professional in terms of diet to “personalize a plan focused on small changes that can be adopted for life rather than big changes that certainly lead to a loss of body fat but followed by ‘a recovery of lost fat’. A “longevity diet” which is therefore to be adopted… in moderation!
