Our Longevity Diet

In the past I’ve heard several claims that intermittent fasting can help prevent cancer, but in following the scientific literature, I’ve seen little evidence behind this claim. Now, someone from a discussion group brought this study to my attention:

Adult-onset calorie restriction and fasting delay spontaneous tumorigenesis in p53-deficient mice

Basically, the study not only shows that both calorie restriction and fasting can help make significant delays in the onset of cancer in mice bread to develop that disease (that’s what the p53 deficient part means), but they also show that the effect is present even when the calorie restriction or intermittent fasting is started later in life, rather than at adolescence. Too many of the existing studies of CR and IF look at the effects on animals that begin in adolescence and continue throughout their lives. I’d like to see more studies examine the effect of starting these dietary protocols later in life, and also the effect of starting early in life but then abandoning the protocol to return to ‘normal’ (i.e. continuous) eating.

And while the study shows cancer was ‘delayed’ rather than prevented, the difference is only semantic. Delay cancer long enough that you die of something else, and it has effectively been prevented. The mice were genetically prone to develop cancer — unless you have Li-Fraumeni Syndrome you are probably not so prone.

This study did show that calorie restriction was more effective than intermittent fasting, but the intermittent fasting regime used involved fasting just one day per week — it would be more interesting to see the results if ADF (alternate day fasting) were used. The bottom line seems to be that it is never too late to start benefiting from intermittent fasting. The beneficial effects are probably much stronger for those who start in early adulthood, but even us old fogies can reap some benefits.

Well, as mentioned in an earlier post, we were not here on June 4th or 5th when we would usually report our monthly weight results, so here about a week late are our weights, after three months and a week of fasting:

Isabel 61.0 kilos (started at 63.8 … 2.8 kilos lost)

Andrew 95.5 kilos (started at 99.1 … 3.6 kilos lost)

For those of you paying attention, you will remember that before our latest trip I was down to 95.1 kilos, so I’ve had a slight rebound of fourth-tenths of a kilo — nothing to be concerned about, my weight fluctuates that much on a daily basis. Compared to our weights five weeks ago, Isabel is down three-tenths of a kilo, and I’m down 1.4 kilos.

Remember, we undertook this intermittent fasting schedule for health reasons, and have made no effort to reduce our total amount of calories — we simply changed WHEN we eat. I continue to be amazed at the slow but steady weight loss, which is a very welcomed side-effect of our new eating habits. Isabel is nearly at her recommended weight of 60 kilos, and I’m almost half-way to my recommended weight of 90 kilos. I’m not really concerned if we reach those recommended weights or not, just so long as we stay in the nearby range. Under our old dietary practice we were gradually gaining weight with no end in sight.

A study reported last month noted that researchers have known for a while that Type II Diabetes is associated with high levels of visceral (or Belly) fat, while subcutaneous fat (below-skin, especially in hips and buttocks) is not. The study found, surprisingly, that it was not the presence of belly-fat so much as the absence of subcutaneous fat that leads to diabetes. That is to say, visceral or belly fat does not have a negative effect, but rather subcutaneous fat has a positive effect on insulin sensitivity, which in turn correlates with the development of Type II Diabetes.

People who have high levels of both types of fat are at much lower risk for diabetes than those who have only belly fat. And those with only subcutaneous fat are even less likely to develop diabetes. The researchers suggested that subcutaneous fat may produce certain hormones, called adipokines, that produce beneficial metabolic effects.

Now another study was released that says pretty much the opposite:

Our study found lipid release from abdominal fat was substantially elevated during the night, which may be a primary mechanism leading to insulin resistance, a strong risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

This study seems on shakier ground, so far as the basic logic goes. They observe that belly fat releases lipids, and jump to the conclusion that this is related to insulin resistance — without any proposed (let alone observed) mechanism for it to do so. It is an observed correlation, with no known causality relationship.

This is a good example of why following the scientific studies can be so confusing. You need to look critically at these reports, and judge the probability of their being accurate. But often we lack the detailed information on study design and implementation that would allow us to accurately judge the results.

In any case, we may assume that if lipids from belly fat were related to insulin resistance, then intermittent fasting may exert a positive effect by limiting the release of lipids during fasting periods. Of course, that is just speculation — but it is consistent with the observed beneficial effect of intermittent fasting on insulin sensitivity.

A report today describes the autopsy results for the examination of the brain of a woman who died at the age of 115 years. There were absolutely no signs of atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries) or beta-amyloid deposits (a characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease).

The woman had undergone neurological and psychological examinations at the age of 112 and 113, and showed no signs of dementia or problems with memory or attention at that age. She was alert and involved, interested in national and international politics. She lived in a residential care home from the age of 105 due to poor vision, but her brain and intelligence compared favorably with people forty years younger.

I have not found any detailed biographical reports on this lady, so we don’t know her economic status or life history, but from her age we know she lived through the trying times of World Wars I and II, as well as the Great Depression. It is not too far-fetched to imagine that she experienced some caloric restriction and/or involuntary fasting during those years.

I have yet to see any studies on intermittent fasting that allow the subjects to go back to unrestricted diets after a period of time, and still continue to follow-up on health and longevity measures. My impression from the study reports we do have, however, make me think that calorie restriction or intermittent fasting during early adulthood may be more beneficial, in the long run, than the same diet initiated later in life. By the time we reach middle-age, much of the damage is done already.

Whatever the cause of this woman’s longevity — lucky genes or just a freak of nature — she is proof that degeneration of the brain is not an inevitable consequence of aging. Other studies show that challenging the aging brain to learn new things is one way to help stave off deterioration. We are hoping intermittent fasting will also help.

We have returned from our latest trip, and can report that we found it much easier to maintain our intermittent fast this time, compared to the previous short trip. We pretty much kept to the schedule except on two occasions, both of which were days we were actually on the road. The first day, we ate a little before the appointed time, because we found an attractive shady spot to stop — we brought sandwiches with us and so for convenience sake ate them about half an hour early. The second instance was the last day, when we came home again. We ate a sandwich at the bus station (we drove out, but left the car there and came back on the bus), but it wasn’t really a full meal, so when we got home we had a couple pieces of fried chicken from the freezer, even though it was three hours into our fasting period. So that fast was shortened to 20 hours instead of 23.

While we were at the cottage in Colima Isabel did the cooking, except for one day when we went to the beach and ate at a restaurant. Thus it was simple to follow our usual schedule, except for that one day at the restaurant. It was a day when we were breaking the fast with the meal, so as it worked out, we were about an hour late — so that fast lasted 24 hours instead of 23. Sitting under a palapa (thatched hut) on a tropical beach with the roaring surf and sun-glared beach made up for the extra wait. We have been fasting for three months now, so an extra hour here or an hour less there does not seem to matter much.

When we first started intermittent fasting we couldn’t wait for the clock to strike two so we could end our fasting period and begin eating. For the first week we even had a tendency to eat more than normal because we were ’so hungry.’ But soon reason prevailed, we slowed down our eating, and went back to normal portions. Now, after months of this routine, the exact time seems less important. We are hungry at 9:00 AM when we get up, but we know we will be no more hungry at 2:00 PM or 2:30 PM or 3:00 — when we eat. So the urgency has gone out of the meal which breaks the fast.

Just as a reminder to those new people joining us, our eating schedule consists of 23 hours fasting followed by 25 hours of normal eating, and is timed so that we eat our main meal at the same time (between 2:00 and 3:00 PM) every day. See the link at top right under our picture labeled ‘our diet’ for details. This is a non-calorie-restricted alternate day fasting schedule, so we eat as much during our daily eating time as we normally did before beginning the fast — yet we are losing weight. If you doubt we eat well, just take a look at the ‘april meals’ link just above ‘our diet’ and see what we had for most of April. That is typical of our eating habits since then as well.

More important than the slight and slow weight loss, is the fact that we feel better, and know we are doing good things for our future health. I am in a high-risk group for Type II Diabetes, due to my family history, age, and the fact that my extra weight is all belly-fat. I believe (based on animal studies) that this fasting schedule will help prevent my developing diabetes. It certainly has helped Isabel with her arthritis pain too. And I find I have fewer and milder head-aches, leg-cramps, colds and basic aches and pains.

This is an on-going experiment in lifestyle, so we will continue to keep you updated on our experiences. Meanwhile, to avoid repeating the same things over and over (we feel great, and it so easy!) I’ll be posting some analysis of the scientific studies being reported for fasting and calorie restriction diets, while trying to translate the scientific jargon into as basic English as possible. Stay tuned!

We will be taking a short hiatus from this site, as we need to go to Colima again. This time we are driving, so we hope it will have less impact on our eating schedule — though if it is necessary for comfort we will cheat a bit on the days we are actually driving — we expect to maintain our fasting regime while there. We expect to be gone about two weeks.

I can post to this blog from a cyber café, but hesitate to do so, since one never knows when those places have keystroke capture software installed to steal passwords. I’ll have to decide if anything I have to say in those weeks is worth the risk, or if it can wait until our return.

We normally report our monthly weigh-in around the 4th or 5th of each month, but that will have to be later in June, since we like to use the same scale for consistency. As of now, I weigh 95.1 kilos, and Isabel weighs 62.8. I’m down exactly four kilos from when we started the fast almost three months ago, and Isabel is down one kilo — she was down 2.5 kilos at the beginning of this month, but bounced back and then plateaued out at her current weight.

As we approach the end of our third month fasting we are both feeling really well, and see no reason why we wouldn’t continue this for the rest of our lives … so a couple weeks without posts on this blog should just be drop in the bucket by a year or two from now!

In the past few months two things have captured my attention, each of which is just ‘too good to be true’ — according to the old cliché. One will help me lose weight, improve my health, and live longer. The other will save the world.

Of course, the first is intermittent fasting. Years ago, I read the studies about caloric restriction, and thought wouldn’t that be great. But reducing my caloric intake by 40% was not my idea of living. I want to live as long as possible, but only if I can enjoy that long life. Then along came the study results for intermittent fasting which said, in effect — yes, you can eat normally and still have all the benefits of caloric restriction and more, just by adjusting when you eat. That, to me, seemed worth a try. And when I tried it out and found out how easy it is — and found I lost weight — and found I felt better, well, needless to say I’m hooked.

The other revelation, which goes way beyond personal interest (though there is some of that too) and sparks visions of really helping all of mankind cope with the coming disruption of global warming — is something called biochar, inspired by terra preta de los indios, a ‘new’ discovery just 2500 years old!

The terra preta are black soils in the Amazon basin where crops grow with amazing fecundity, while adjoining soils of similar composition are nearly sterile. Scientists have investigated this amazing dirt, and found that one thing distinguishes it from nearby soils that have all their nutriments leached-out by the torrential rains of that tropical climate: the terra preta soils are rich in minute particles of charcoal — dust sized particles (under 50 micrometers) that exert tremendous effects on the fertility of the land.

Now, charcoal is fairly inert in soil — it doesn’t break down much. I know, because I used to be an archaeologist, and I’ve dug up charcoal thousands of years old. But apparently charcoal has other properties, especially when ground up very fine, that make it highly beneficial to the soil. It helps retain water, improves the soil texture, harbors beneficial bacteria, and helps make existing minerals in the soil available for plant use through a chemical reaction that creates cations, a type of ion.

In essence, adding substantial amounts of powdered charcoal to soil has been shown to increase plant production by 50% to 200%. The enriched soil needs less water and less fertilizer, because biochar reduces the loss of fertilizer through run-off (helping to reduce pollution to adjacent lakes and streams). So we can feed more people using less precious water and less fertilizer, while enriching the soil and reducing pollution. Didn’t I say it sounded too good to be true?

And as if that were not enough, we come to the ’saving the world’ part. The world is heating up faster than it has in the past 200,000 years — because mankind is pumping too many greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. One of the major greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide. Growing plants take carbon dioxide out of the air, but when they rot or are burned, that carbon goes back into the atmosphere. Turning plants into charcoal and burying (rather than burning) that charcoal — as in biochar — takes about half of the carbon absorbed by the living plant and keeps it out of the atmosphere — for thousands of years.

Large scale biochar production could offset the carbon dioxide our industrial processes and burning of fossil fuels pumps into the air. And there is still more. Biochar is a byproduct of the production of biofuels through pyrolysis of organic material. Unlike other biofuel technologies, this does not require high-sugar plant materials, like corn, but will work with almost anything, including the old corn stalks after the corn has been harvested. The plant material is heated in the absence of oxygen, and volatile chemicals are driven off and captured, making a fuel. The left-over carbonized plant matter is biochar. So this amazingly useful material can be produced at a profit, while reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.

So, to bring this amazing tale back to our subject matter — intermittent fasting — you need to eat healthy foods if you expect to extend your lifespan and improve your health. And the best way to know you are getting good healthy vegetables, is to grow them yourself — even if you have to grow them in pots on the patio. And the best way to do that is to add some biochar to your potting soil or garden soil. If your local nursery doesn’t sell biochar yet, demand they start! Spreading the word on this amazing discovery is needed for it to become widespread enough to have any global effect.

I’m working on a website on the subject of biochar, where I’ll also tell you how to make your own, if you are the do-it-yourself type. I’ll post a link in the sidebar of this site when that is up and running.