Think back to our ancestors, and we’re saying way back. These people didn’t have food readily available to them at all times so they would go through periods of “fasting” until their next meal. Well, this idea of fasting for a period of time is being heavily researched and the findings may aid in anti-aging.

Five day fasting slows down aging

Researchers at the University of Southern California put cycles of fasting to the test in terms of its effect on anti-aging. Typically fasting involves not eating, but for this study the researchers simply limited calories and increased them over the course of five days.

The original research was conducted on mice as mice typically have a short lifespan. The researchers noted that over the course of four days of high calories and low calories conducted bimonthly the lives of the mice were extended. The human trials saw similar results.

19 volunteers were allowed to consume whatever food they wanted for 25 days in a month. For the remaining five days they cycled between 1,090 calories on day one and 725 calories between days two and five. After three months of this style of dieting researchers found biomarkers linked to aging, diabetes and heart disease were reduced. Biomarkers are a substance in an organism which indicates the onset of disease or infection.

But why does the fasting diet work to prevent aging?

Well researchers propose that by dieting this way hormones in the body which encourage growth get cut in half which in turn slows down aging.

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