Dr. Morgan Levine, a former Yale professor and Founding Principal Investigator at Altos Labs, dives into diet's critical role in aging. She outlines three key strategies: caloric restriction, which may enhance lifespan by preventing overeating; embracing a plant-based diet rich in whole foods; and adopting time-restricted eating, or fasting, to promote resilience against aging. Levine emphasizes the importance of personalized diets based on genetics and biological age, paving the way for future advancements in understanding aging biomarkers.
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insights INSIGHT
Caloric Restriction May Reduce Aging
Caloric restriction (~20% fewer calories) extends lifespan across many animal models.
In humans, benefit may come from avoiding overeating rather than intentional severe restriction.
insights INSIGHT
What You Eat Shapes Longevity
Diet composition matters for aging and longevity, with plant-forward diets appearing beneficial.
Eating fewer animal products and refined sugars while choosing whole foods tends to improve outcomes.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Use Fasting To Mimic Calorie Cuts
Try limiting your daily eating to a smaller time window to mimic caloric-restriction benefits.
Time-restricted eating or intermittent fasting may recapitulate many benefits seen in calorie-restricted studies.
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Former Yale professor Morgan Levine shares 3 ways to change your diet to extend your life.
Dr. Morgan Levine, author of "True Age," explains how the impact of diet on aging and longevity is determined by three factors: quantity, quality, and timing of food intake.
First, caloric restriction, typically a 20% reduction in overall calorie intake, has been linked to increased lifespan in several animal models. However, the positive effects may stem from avoiding overeating rather than restriction per se. Second, a plant-based diet, with less animal products and refined sugars and more fruits, veggies, and whole foods, seems beneficial for aging and longevity. Third, fasting, or limiting eating to specific time windows, might mimic the benefits of caloric restriction by causing 'hormesis', mild stressors that boost resilience to aging-related changes.
The optimal diet is likely individual, influenced by factors like genetics and age, and should be monitored through measures of biological age and personal well-being. Future research into aging biomarkers could further our understanding of diet's role in the aging process.
0:00 Does diet affect aging?
0:35 #1 Caloric restriction
1:40 #2 What you eat
2:07 #3 When you eat: fasting
2:38 Hormesis: Building biological resilience
3:16 What is the optimal diet for you?
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About Morgan Levine:
Morgan Levine was previously a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the department of Pathology at Yale University where she ran the Laboratory for Aging in Living Systems. In 2022, she was recruited to join Altos Labs as a Founding Principal Investigator at the San Diego Institute of Science. She currently leads a research group at Altos Labs working at the intersection of bioinformatics, cellular biology, complex systems, and biostatistics with the overall goal of understanding the molecular trajectories aging cells, tissues, and organisms take through time.
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