The Immortalists

Very excited to see the premiere of The Immortalists at SxSW in Austin at the weekend: 

 The Immortalists is the story of two eccentric scientists struggling to create eternal youth with medical breakthroughs in a world they call “blind to the tragedy of old age.” Bill Andrews is a lab biologist and famed long-distance runner racing against the ultimate clock. Aubrey de Grey is a genius theoretical biologist who conducts his research with a beer in hand. They differ in style and substance, but are united in their common crusade: cure aging or die trying. They publicly brawl with the old guard of biology who argue that curing aging is neither possible nor desirable. As Andrews and de Grey battle their own aging and suffer the losses of loved ones, their journeys toward life without end ultimately become personal.

A high protein diet could lead to early death, claim researchers

(Thierry de Lestrade) Salvatore Caruso, 108 

Too much protein during mid-life - especially protein derived from animal sources - could lead to an early death, according to US and Italian researchers.  In a paper, co-authored by Dr Valter Longo, at the USC's Longevity Institute, it is argued that people who eat a diet high in animal proteins during middle age are four times more likely to die of cancer than those on low-protein diets.  Statistically - and if accurate - this can be compared with the death rate from smoking. The study also concludes that for people over 65, a diet higher in protein could be beneficial. 

This is a fascinating study based on a large sample of adults tracked during nearly two years. The data is compelling but additional research is needed to further understand the biological mechanisms at work.  The researchers have been criticized for comparing smoking deaths with those (potentially) from eating high protein diets.

According to the Guardian newspaper:  "Gunter Kuhnle, a food nutrition scientist at Reading University, said it was wrong "and potentially even dangerous" to compare the effects of smoking with the effect of meat and cheese as the study does."

Further coverage: LA Times
High-protein diets: Bad for the middle-aged, good for the elderly

Photo: Like others in the small town of Molochio, with one of the highest prevalence of centenarians in the world, Salvatore maintained a low-protein, plant-based diet for the majority of his life, but switched to a higher-protein diet after moving in with his son's family once he became frail.

Original article in Cell Metabolism: Low Protein Intake Is Associated with a Major Reduction in IGF-1, Cancer, and Overall Mortality in the 65 and Younger but Not Older Population

Note: Dr Longo (cited above) devised the periodic fasting program that I am experimenting with this year.  I am intrigued - but not necessarily convinced yet - by the low/zero animal protein argument.  But after two months on a Vegan diet, I feel good and my weight management issues have all but disappeared. I will be fasting again soon for five days.

The risks posed by high doses of dietary supplements

This is a valuable and revealing study about the dangers posed by the over-use of dietary supplements.  What we once thought - or were told - was good for us, turns out to be quite the opposite. 

"Many people think that dietary supplements are helpful or at the least innocuous. This is not true," said corresponding and first author Alan Kristal, Dr.P.H., a faculty member in the Public Health Sciences Division of Fred Hutch. "We know from several other studies that some high-dose dietary supplements – that is, supplements that provide far more than the daily recommended intakes of micronutrients – increase cancer risk. We knew this based on randomized, controlled, double-blinded studies for folate and beta carotene, and now we know it for vitamin E and selenium."

Selenium and vitamin E supplements can increase risk of prostate cancer in some men

Heading to Texas soon

Is sitting killing us?

I just stumbled across this informative graphic which illustrates rather well why we should all move more.

 

Sitting Disease Infographic 1 (Ergotron) / CC BY 3.0

Almonds - a California superfood

As part of my new diet regime I eat almonds every day for lunch. 23 kernels (1x 1oz serving) to be precise. They fit into a small box, don't need refrigerating and are not messy to eat. Together with a few raisins they have become my go-to snack on the days when I skip lunch. Which is most days. So when I was asked to investigate the California almond trade for Radio 4's You & Yours,  I jumped at the chance to learn more about this hugely popular nut.

Post by Peter Bowes.

Post-fast weight remains steady

It is 12 days since I last fasted for 5 days, consuming only small meals supplied by USC's School of Gerontology.  I have returned to 'normal' food - although my new norm is an almost entirely vegan diet, with fish - usually salmon - twice a week. Persuaded by the argument that a low protein (about 60g/day for me) plant protein diet is far better for my long-term health, I have abandoned my beloved dairy products and chicken meals.  I will continue for at least a year to make a realistic assessment of its impact on my overall health.  I will continue to fast, periodically. A key factor will be what it does to my cholesterol levels (currently slightly high) and systolic blood pressure over the long term. 

Crucially, I have maintained the weight loss achieved during the last 5-day fast. I am still at about 172 lbs with a BMI of 24.0.  Unlike during the clinical trial - when volunteers were not given specific instructions on what to eat between fasting cycles - I have made a concerted effort to eat clean and intelligently to try to maintain a steady weight.  This is been achieved largely through skipping lunch - or at least consuming only a small snack between breakfast and dinner.  My default snack is about 200 calories of almonds and raisins. 

It has been easy, so far - especially now that I have adopted a routine. Planning my day is much easier, knowing that 'lunch' is contained in a tiny box in my backpack.  During the afternoon I experience hunger pangs but also the increased mental alertness that I have become so familiar with. Most days I consume fewer calories than I burn. This allows me occasionally to share lunch with a friend or go out to dinner, without counting calories.  It all balances out during the week. 

Fellow experimental faster - and cancer survivor - says diet made her feel better

So far my experience of periodic fasting has been extremely positive. Others have found it more difficult, as I reported here, although they were in the minority during the USC trial.

Nora Quinn, another study volunteer, tells me that she throughly enjoyed the experience and that fasting made her feel physically better.

"I loved the food," she says.

Quinn was one of the participants in the study, which involved three periods of fasting for 5 consecutive days, during which only low calorie food, supplied by USC scientists, was allowed.  See earlier blogs for details.

"I kept trying to buy it. The honey and nut bar is way too good.  I would eat way too many of those if I had access to them generally.  I thought the soups were terrific," says Quinn.

Quinn adds that she felt physically better while fasting.

"Now that I am out of the trial I try to continue to do fasting. I try to mimic the foods."

Like me, Quinn said he experienced a greater sense of mental alertness while fasting.

"I have more energy and I'm more cognitively alert,' she says.

Quinn, who describes herself as “aggressive and bold" says she was amused by some of the social implications of fasting.

"I find this so funny because there are people who I work with who will say, 'Oh, you're fasting that's not healthy - you can't just not eat anything.’  I will say, 'Well I can. I've done it before and I will do it again. And they'll be standing there eating donuts, telling me how unhealthy it is to fast.'

'I want to say look at yourself - how can you possibly say that what I'm doing is unhealthy?'

Quinn, an administrative judge in Los Angeles is a cancer survivor.  She is convinced that an earlier period of fasting, before and during a course of chemotherapy, helped her make a good recovery from breast cancer.

After reading about the work of Valter Longo she took it on herself to fast just before starting chemotherapy.  Without medical advice, which is certainly not to be recommended, she devised a fasting plan that roughly mimicked regimes which had been tested with mice. At that stage, there had been no human trials, but Quinn believes fasting helped alleviate the negative side-effects of chemo and contributed towards her recovery.  Her story is told at greater length in Michael Mosely’s book, the Fast Diet.

The beneficial effects of fasting during cancer treatment are the subject of ongoing studies, involving human trials. According to a research published in the journal Oncogene, in 2011, an intense period of calorie restriction, for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, has the potential to reduce the adverse side-effects of the treatment and improve survival rates. 

Day after the fast

Back to normal today.  Easing in back to normal (my normal) food with a kale, spinach and fruit smoothie with some rice protein for breakfast.   

Weight 171.6
Weight loss over 5 days - 7.4lbs.

This was the easiest of the four 5-day fasts I have completed.  The most significant benefit was my increased mental alertness and productivity. I felt some physical fatigue but managed to keep up with my daily hikes and a resistance training session - on day 4.  The food becomes monotonous but it is no great hardship and eminently doable over a limited period of time. Individual tastes vary and I do not enjoy salty foods at the best of time, so I'd say my least favorite item on the fasting menu was the kale chips. 

Unlike during the clinical trial, when we were encouraged to return to my normal weight (or the weight at the start of the trial), it is my intention to maintain the weight loss achieve during the past 5 days.  I will adopt a more vegan-like diet - no dairy or meat.  I will continue to eat fish, for the time being, along with a plant protein based diet - nuts, legumes, fruits, vegetables etc.  The goal is to plateau at about 168lbs - which actually means losing a few more pounds. 

I will fast again mid-March. 

2014 Periodic fast #1 Day Five

Woke up refreshed at 0500.  Noticeably more energetic today. A solid, though not particularly long night's sleep helped - about 6.5 hours. I'm not sure what, but something has clearly kicked in today - the final day of fasting.  Perhaps it is simply the knowledge that tomorrow I can eat normally again, but I doubt it. What ever the cause I feel cleansed, if that's the right expression - or rebooted. Hoping to use this fasting euphoria to have a productive day and clear my desk! 

Coffee + 2 x water + 32 fl oz energy drink (purified water and glycerin - 20 cals, 5g carb) during the day.

Feeling more energized today, the morning hike was easier.

1400 Lunch: Vegetable soup
Supplements: NR-1  -ingredients include a large range of vitamins and minerals.

1800
Dinner: Pumpkin soup + kale chips
Supplement: DHA Omega-3 (from algal oil) 200mg
Note, there's an interesting new study published today which suggests DHA (one type of omega 3 fatty acid) has much broader benefits than perviously thought.

And that's it. 5-day fast done. Today I felt particularly good - had a very productive day, with still no sign of headaches - quite the contrary, I was buzzing mentally.  During the fasting period this is the most positive side-effect - that contrary to most peoples' expectations, it is quite easy to perform almost all daily tasks. My level of concentration is better.

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Background notes:
Only food provided by University of Southern California scientists, via L-Nutra, a spin off company from USC, were consumed during the past 5-days. They are not, currently, available for sale.

Earlier BBC stories: 

Intermittent fasting: Trying it out for science

Intermittent fasting: Enduring the hunger pangs

Intermittent fasting: The good things it did to my body