What I’ve discovered about myself is that the biggest problem with prolonged fasting is me. Despite knowing all the wonderful benefits… I just can’t bring myself to do it. Perhaps, alternate day fasting would be a more agreeable compromise.

Chicago

But the great thing about science is there is always someone doing further work, building on what others have achieved, which is why I’m here in Chicago. Here, they are doing studies not just on mice, but also on humans. And they seem to have found a way of making fasting a lot more palatable. I’m here to meet Dr Krista Varady, who has been researching something that sounds easier. Alternate day fasting.

Professor Longo “Exactly, It’s pushing the cells to burn fuel.”

Alternate Day Fasting

Dr Krista Varady Alternate Day Fasting
Dr Krista Varady

Dr Krista Varady “So these are some of the components that we’d use in an alternate day fasting diet. It basically involves a day of pretty heavy calorie restriction. For women, about 400 to 500 calories a day, and for men, about 500 to 600 calories a day, and that’s actually just as one meal around lunchtime. We call that the fast day.”

So the fast day isn’t about total abstinence. It’s about meals that look like this. What’s great about alternate day fasting is what happens on the alternate days.

Dr Krista Varady “And then that’s alternated with something we call the feed day, which is where you can eat whatever you want. Absolutely whatever you want.”

So here’s the pattern of alternate day fasting.

Fast Day Meal

It certainly sounds easier than either prolonged fasting or the daily calorie restriction I looked at earlier. But is it as effective? Well, Krista is currently doing a trial with overweight subjects which suggests it may be.

Dr Krista Varady “What we saw was that the alternate day fasting group actually lost a bit more weight, so about five pounds more after the six-month period. And we actually saw some pretty nice decreases in LDL-cholesterol, as well as triglycerides. So LDL-cholesterol is the bad cholesterol, and triglycerides - basically higher amounts of that can lead to heart disease and age-related disease. We also see really nice decreases in blood pressure over the course of the trials. So, again, another key heart disease risk factor.”

Feed and Fast Day Meals

In addition to, so far, limited human trials there’s lots of good evidence from animal studies that alternate day fasting, ADF, is safe and effective. I’m convinced enough to try it. Yesterday I fasted. Today I feed. So, I must admit I am surprised to be here. I kind of imagined you’d be sticking me on a sort of you know, a veggie diet or something like that.

Horizon - Eat, Fast and Live Longer

Burger Time

Krista Varady “Or, yeah, a lot of salads or something on the feed day? No, actually as long as you stick to the calorie goals on the fast day, you can literally eat whatever you like on the feed day.”

One of Krista’s most recent studies compared two groups on ADF, one eating high-fat, the other low-fat, on their feed days. I’m concerned about my blood glucose, I’m concerned about my cholesterol, and concerned about a load of stuff. And are those not, sort of, made worse by eating high-fat?

Krista Varady “That’s actually what we thought would happen. And then, surprisingly, we saw the same decreases in LDL-cholesterol, so that’s the bad cholesterol, and in triglycerides, and also in blood pressure. So in terms of cardiovascular disease risk, it didn’t matter if you are eating a high-fat or low-fat diet.”

Al-Fresco Dining

Another big surprise was that, after a day of fasting, people rarely gorge themselves on their feed days.

Krista Varady “So when we ask someone to consume 25% of their energy needs on the fast day, I just thought that when I started running these trials, that people would eat 175% the next day. But right from the get-go, no matter what, people just can’t eat that 175% the next day. Most people eat around the 110% to just slightly over what we usually eat, actually.”

You appear to be slowing down the ageing process, or the diseases associated with it. You’re cutting the risks of the diseases associated, which is quite a profound thing to do.

Krista Varady “Yeah, absolutely.”

Krista’s research is still in the early stages. But from what I’ve seen and experienced, I am now starting to be won over by the idea that a simple pattern of feast and fast can be powerful. It seems to have an impact which goes beyond simply eating less. And I think it could work for someone like me.

But from what I’ve seen and experienced I am now starting to be won over by the idea that a simple pattern of feast and fast can be powerful.

It seems to have an impact which goes beyond simply eating less. And I think it could work for someone like me. Michael Mosely will test the eating plan and pronounce his findings in due course.

External Links

Alternate Day Fasting - WebMD

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