LA VANGUARDIA
THE FASTING MIMICKING DIET ‘WORKS’ AGAINST CERTAIN TYPES OF CANCER AND SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE CONFIRMS IT
Carrying out the fasting-mimicking diet under the supervision of an oncologist “is effective” in fighting some types of cancer, according to biochemist Valter Longo, who has carried out ten randomized clinical trials in the past 20 years. According to his testimony, performing this type of fast has been proven to be “safe”.
Article translated and edited by the Scientific Team at Fondazione Valter Longo
The scientist, who is part of the Institute of Molecular Oncology in Italy and of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California (USA), explained that programmed and personalized fasting, supervised by an oncologist, “works” in supporting chemotherapy treatments for cancers such as lung, pancreatic and breast cancer, as described in his new book “Fasting Cancer” (forthcoming in English).
“We’ve seen that this diet works in animals in almost all types of cancers and in people it works in many cancers, in others, however, there isn’t yet a sufficient number of studies to prove it,” he underlined.
Longo gave an example of applying the fasting-mimicking diet for breast cancer patients. “It was found that women who completed all their rounds of chemotherapy, plus fasting, were five times less likely to be unresponsive to treatment, meaning they responded better to therapy.”
So, if the fasting-mimicking diet works, why aren’t oncologists implementing it substantially in their treatments? Some oncologists have already begun testing it in hospitals around the world but, according to Longo, they are still awaiting recommendations from the US FDA, and this would require a multi-billion-dollar investment in scientific studies.
“We’ve offered fasting-mimicking diet studies to pharmaceutical companies, but they’re not interested, despite seeing patients improve,” said Valter Longo, who insisted that “patients can’t wait.”
For this reason, Dr. Longo stated that fasting is now always “offered” to cancer patients with the support of an oncologist. He also stressed that they are not telling patients to improvise and start fasting on their own “because that would be a disaster.” Furthermore, “if the oncologist is not in favor of trying this therapy, one can always consult another specialist, within the freedom that one has as a patient,” he said.
THE FASTING MIMICKING DIET
Valter Longo states that cancer cells are much weaker than one would think and are also sensitive to lack of food. “Fasting stops nourishing healthy cells, and when they stop being nourished, they protect themselves and create what I call a ‘magic shield’.
What happens to cancer cells, according to the Italian American scientist, when we leave them without “fuel”? The process goes as follows: “Cancer cells are ‘stupid’ and even if they don’t receive help, or nourishment, they ‘reveal themselves’ and continue to work even without food, so eventually they die.
This is the key to the success of the fasting-mimicking diet, “weakening the diseased cell”. As for the implementation, the specialist stressed that it is a matter of reaching an agreement with the oncologist in order to follow “a diet that simulates fasting”.
According to Longo, there are different types of products and diets available on the Spanish market, but he hasn’t chosen to recommend any of them, because “it must always be done under medical supervision and with the support of specialists”.
Finally, he said the goal is to “find a balance” so that the patient isn’t undernourished. His Fondazione Valter Longo works with nutritionists and molecular biology doctors “to analyze patients’ blood chemistry parameters and make sure they have the right levels of protein and everything else they need,” as well as prescribing physical exercise to help maintain muscle mass during oncological therapies.
11/01/2023 15:40
MADRID, 11 (SERVIMEDIA)
Article translated and edited by the Scientific Team at Fondazione Valter Longo
Read the original article in Spanish at the following link:
