Peak Performance Life Podcast EPI 231: How To LIVE LONGER With Dr. Valter Longo. The Optimal Diet For Longevity, Fasting Done The Wrong & The Right Way, And How The "Fasting Mimicking Diet" Works
Show notes:
(0:00) Intro
(0:56) Dr. Longo's surprising path from music student to aging expert
(2:00) Early yeast studies and the 10x lifespan breakthrough
(3:56) Launching the Fasting Mimicking Diet and supporting clinical trials
(6:15) The dangers of long-term calorie restriction and yo-yo dieting
(12:18) Why 12-hour fasting is safer than 16+ hours
(18:22) Key differences in fasting for women
(20:52) What's actually in the Fasting Mimicking Diet
(23:41) How often to do it and who benefits most
(28:47) Regenerating organs with stem cells and fasting
(34:55) The Longevity Diet
(38:11) Legumes, protein levels, and real-world advice
(45:08) Fasting and cancer: what early research shows
(48:15) Where to learn more from Dr. Longo
(49:00) Outro
Who is Dr. Valter Longo?
Dr. Valter Longo is the Edna M. Jones Professor of Gerontology and Biological Sciences and Director of the Longevity Institute at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, a leading center for aging and disease research. Trained in biochemistry at the University of North Texas and UCLA, with postdoctoral work under longevity pioneers Roy Walford and Caleb Finch, Dr. Longo has built a multidisciplinary research career spanning genetics, immunology, endocrinology, and molecular biology. His laboratory has identified key genetic pathways that regulate aging and demonstrated how targeting these pathways can reduce disease risk and progression in both animal models and humans, including novel dietary and genetic strategies that protect healthy cells while making cancer cells more vulnerable to treatment.
Dr. Longo is widely known for developing the fasting mimicking diet, a five-day periodic dietary intervention shown in randomized clinical trials to reduce markers associated with aging and chronic disease, while promoting stem cell–based regeneration and longevity. His work has earned numerous prestigious awards, including the Glenn Award for Aging Research, and in 2018 he was named one of Time Magazine's 50 most influential people in health care. Deeply committed to public health and accessibility, Dr. Longo donates all proceeds from his bestselling books, including The Longevity Diet and Fasting Cancer, to research and education through his foundations in Milan and Los Angeles, advancing affordable strategies to prevent disease and extend healthy lifespan.
Connect with Dr. Longo:
Website: https://valterlongo.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profvalterlongo/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/prof_valterlongo/
Grab a copy: https://tinyurl.com/4h4mspmt
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