Fasting, Sulforaphane and Spermidine: A Strategy

Fasting promotes healthy aging and delays infirmity.

Sulfphorane promotes insulin sensitivity by upregulating antioxidants to balance rising insulin and nutrient levels.

Spermidine/wheat germ speeds up the clock genes, in effect, winding the clock to operate faster and longer.

http://www.pnas.org/content/111/47/16647.short

Meal frequency and timing in health and disease

Mark P. Mattson^a,^b,¹,                                

1. David B. Allison^c, 
2. Luigi Fontana^d,^e,^f, 
3. Michelle Harvie^g, 
4. Valter D. Longo^h, 
5. Willy J. Malaisseⁱ, 
6. Michael Mosley^j, 
7. Lucia Notterpek^k, 
8. Eric Ravussin^l, 
9. Frank A. J. L. Scheer^m, 
10. Thomas N. Seyfriedⁿ, 
11. Krista A. Varady^o, and 
12. Satchidananda Panda^p,¹

1. Edited by Joseph S. Takahashi, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, and approved October 7, 2014 (received for review July 23, 2014)

Abstract

Although major research efforts have focused on how specific components of foodstuffs affect health, relatively little is known about a more fundamental aspect of diet, the frequency and circadian timing of meals, and potential benefits of intermittent periods with no or very low energy intakes. The most common eating pattern in modern societies, three meals plus snacks every day, is abnormal from an evolutionary perspective. Emerging findings from studies of animal models and human subjects suggest that intermittent energy restriction periods of as little as 16 h can improve health indicators and counteract disease processes. The mechanisms involve a metabolic shift to fat metabolism and ketone production, and stimulation of adaptive cellular stress responses that prevent and repair molecular damage. As data on the optimal frequency and timing of meals crystalizes, it will be critical to develop strategies to incorporate those eating patterns into health care policy and practice, and the lifestyles of the population.

• metabolism
• circadian rhythm
• time-restricted feeding
• feeding behavior
• obesity

Footnotes

• ¹To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: mark.mattson@nih.gov or panda@salk.edu.

• Author contributions: M.P.M., D.B.A., L.F., M.H., V.D.L., W.J.M., M.M., L.N., E.R., F.A.J.L.S., T.N.S., K.A.V., and S.P. wrote the paper.
• The authors declare no conflict of interest.
• This article is a PNAS Direct Submission.