03/25/2019
only recently have humans had constant access to food. During their evolution, many animals and humans ate only intermittently. in rodents, both fasting for 24 hours every other day or twice weekly extends lifespan up to 30% , independent of both total food intake and weight loss
A new study from Harvard researchers has now shown how fasting can increase lifespan, slow aging and improve health by altering the activity of mitochondrial networks inside our cells.
▪️Mitochondria are a little like tiny power plants inside our cells. Last year a team of researchers led by Newcastle University successfully showed how mitochondria are fundamental to the aging of cells.
▪️The new research from Harvard shows how the changing shapes of mitochondrial networks can affect longevity and lifespan, but more importantly the study illustrates how fasting manipulates those mitochondrial networks to keep them in a "youthful" state.
▪️Recent and accumulating work in unicellular and invertebrate model organisms, rodents, monkeys, and humans indicates that diet has a much more pervasive and prominent role than previously thought in modulating mechanisms of aging and its associated diseases.
▪️I do a 3 day water fast once a month to maximize autophagy and cell regeneration. I'm slowly working on increasing the length of my fasts until I get to 5 days.
▪️ I used to practice intermittent fasting 16 hours each day. While it gave me amazing energy and kept my calories in check, there is not much science to back up the cell regeneration and anti-aging aspect. You want to maximize your time in autophagy which starts around hour ~12.
▪️I only recommend fasting to people who already have a healthy relationship with food. ⬇️
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/11/intermittent-fasting-may-be-center-of-increasing-lifespan/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867415001865
Manipulating mitochondrial networks inside cells may increase lifespan and promote health, according to a new study.
