The USC professor outlines the characteristics of a ‘longevity diet’, based on a range of nutrition studies from laboratory animal studies to epidemiological studies in human populations.
Professor Walter Longo is reviewing animal and human research to find out how nutrition affects aging and healthy living.
According to Professor Walter Longo of the University of Southern California (USC) School of Gerontology Leonard Davis, examining a variety of nutrition studies from laboratory animal studies to epidemiological studies in human populations offers a clearer picture of the ideal diet for longer and a healthier life.
Published on April 28, 2022 in the journal Cell, in a research paper that includes a review of the literature, Longo and co-author Rosalyn Anderson of the University of Wisconsin describe the “longevity diet,” a multi-pillar approach based on research on various aspects. of diet, from food composition and calorie intake to the duration and frequency of fasting periods.
“We studied the relationship between nutrients, starvation, genes and longevity in short-lived species and linked these links to clinical and epidemiological studies in primates and humans, including centenarians,” Longo said. “By adopting an approach based on more than a century of research, we can begin to define a longevity diet that is a solid foundation for dietary recommendations and future research.
What and when to eat for longevity
Longo and Anderson reviewed hundreds of studies on nutrition, disease and longevity in laboratory animals and humans, and combined them with their own research on nutrients and aging. The analysis includes popular diets such as total calorie restriction, a high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet, a vegetarian and vegan diet, and a Mediterranean diet.
Professor Walter Longo. Credit: University of Southern California / Stephanie Kleinman
The article also includes an overview of various forms of fasting, including short-term diets that mimic the body’s starvation response, intermittent fasting (frequent and short-term), and intermittent fasting (two or more fasting days or diets that mimic starvation more than twice a month). . In addition to examining life expectancy data from epidemiological studies, the team linked these studies to specific nutritional factors affecting several longevity-regulating genetic pathways shared by animals and humans, which also influence markers of disease risk. These include levels of insulin, C-reactive protein, insulin-like growth factor 1 and cholesterol.
The authors report that the key characteristics of an optimal diet appear to be moderate to high carbohydrate intake from unrefined sources, low but sufficient protein from predominantly plant sources, and enough vegetable fats to provide about 30 percent of energy needs. Ideally, daily meals should be carried out within 11-12 hours, which allows a daily period of fasting. In addition, a 5-day cycle of fasting or mimicking fasting every 3-4 months may also help reduce insulin resistance, blood pressure and other risk factors for people at increased risk of disease.
Longo described what the longevity diet might look like in real life: “Lots of legumes, whole grains and vegetables; some fish; no red meat or processed meat and very low white meat; low sugar and refined grains; good levels of nuts and olive oil, and some dark chocolate. ”
What’s next for the longevity diet
The next step in the study of the longevity diet will be a study of 500 people, which will be conducted in southern Italy, said Longo. The longevity diet has both similarities and differences to the Mediterranean-style diets common in the super-aging “blue zones”, including Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; and Loma Linda, California. The usual diets in these communities, known to a large number of people aged 100 or over, are often predominantly plant-based or Pescatarian and are relatively low in protein. But the longevity diet is an evolution of these “centennial diets,” Longo explained, citing a recommendation to limit food consumption to 12 hours a day and several short periods of fasting each year.
In addition to the general characteristics, the longevity diet must be adapted to individuals based on gender, age, health status and genetics, Longo noted. For example, people over the age of 65 may need to increase protein to counteract weakness and loss of lean body mass. Longo’s own research illustrates that higher amounts of protein are better for people over 65, but are not optimal for those under 65, he said.
For people who want to optimize their diet for longevity, he said it is important to work with a health care provider who specializes in nutrition to customize a plan that focuses on smaller changes that can be accepted. a lifetime, not major changes that will cause harmful large body fat loss and lean mass, followed by recovery of lost fat after a person abandons a very restrictive diet.
“The longevity diet is not a dietary restriction designed only to cause weight loss, but a lifestyle focused on slowing aging, which can complement standard health care and, as a preventative measure, will help avoid morbidity and maintain of health in old age, “Longo said.
Reference: “Nutrition, longevity and disease: From molecular mechanisms to interventions” by Walter D. Longo and Rosalyn M. Anderson, April 28, 2022, Cell.DOI: 10.1016 / j.cell.2022.04.002
The article “Nutrition, Longevity and Disease: From Molecular Mechanisms to Interventions” is co-authored by Professor Rosalyn M. Anderson of the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Wisconsin. This work was supported in part by Longo Awards, including the Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (IG # 17605 and IG # 21820.), Grant BC161452 from the Breast Cancer Research Program (US Department of Defense) and the National Institute for Breast Cancer. aging – National Institutes of Health grants P01 AG055369. Anderson is supported by NIH-NIA RF1AG057408, R01AG067330, R01AG074503, the Veterans Administration of Merit Award BX003846 and Impetus Grants and the Simons Foundation. This work was made possible with the support of the William C. Middleton, Madison, Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Hospital.
Longo is the founder and has a stake in L-Nutra; The company’s food products are used in studies of a diet that mimics starvation. Longo’s interest in L-Nutra was discovered and managed in accordance with USC’s conflict of interest policies. USC has a stake in L-Nutra and has the potential to receive royalty payments from L-Nutra. USC’s financial interest in the company has been identified and managed in accordance with USC’s institutional conflict of interest policies.
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