What if there was a way to lower IGF-1 levels MORE than 5:2?

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Vashti Wood

1:32 am
21 Jan 18
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Newish to the 5:2 diet (my +60yo Dad has had great success with it) and interested to give it a go myself, I’ve really been looking into the science behind it.

I just watched the documentary again last night and summarise it here: Extrememe Caloric Restricticion seriously reduces IGF-1 levels. 4-day Fasting also significantly decreases IGF-1 levels. Repeated 4-day fasts are too difficult for most, but alternative or 5:2 programs produce ostensibly the same results as 4-day fasts.

But what if there was something that lowered IGF-1 more. And more easily?

I came across this video (it’s short – approx 6 minutes) and am going to look into the cited papers mentioned. But it could be that there is an easier/better way to do it than even the 5:2 plan?

https://youtu.be/Q7AvgBgI8f4

Thoughts?

simcoeluv

1:47 am
21 Jan 18
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Hi Vashti:

5:2 is a great weight loss diet, but there is no clinical evidence that following it lowers IGF 1 levels. I did not view your link, but it is well known that IGF 1 levels rise and fall with protein intake, so the best way to lower levels over time is to eat a low protein diet. If you are interested in the possible ‘other health benefits’ that may result from fasting, check out ‘The Longevity Diet’ by Valter Longo.

Good Luck!

cornish-jane

8:00 am
4 Feb 18
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Vashti – the video suggests there are many benefits to a whole food plant based diet, including an apparent reduction in IGF1. I follow this with 5:2 and feel good on it. Have you found The China Study yet? And the film What The Health?

Just try it and see how you feel? Obviously take medical advice if you need to, but I think a lot of nutritionists now agree that wholefood plant based diets are optimal for health – they just have trouble pursuading people to do it!

dykask

1:16 am
6 Feb 18
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The problem I have with extreme calorie restriction approaches is that often it means extreme nutrition restrictions. The fewer calories worth of food consumed the harder it is to get enough of the nutrition our bodies need. While short periods of limited nutrition are probably just fine, months or years of it could wreak havoc on one’s health. What is the point of being super low IGF-1 and super dead? Maybe you don’t die from cancer, but there isn’t any gain if you die for sudden heart failure or complications from not having enough minerals for your bones.

A big advangate I see with 5:2 is that one can spend the calories they need to focus on getting good enough nutrition.

I think simcoeluv has a great point. People tend to eat an awful lot of protein and there is little evidence of improved benefits from overconsuming protein. The human body is good at recycling proteins. I personally found no negative impacts form my protein being halved over the last few years. The Japanese diet is lean on protein compared to the US diet.