Fasting-mimicking diet lowers biological age

Researchers studied about 100 generally healthy adults who followed either a five-day fasting-mimicking diet each month for three months or their usual diet. This diet provides some food but is low in calories, protein, and sugar, so it is meant to imitate fasting. The researchers estimated biological age, a measure of how old the body seems based on health-related markers. People on the diet showed an average reduction of about 2.5 years in this estimate, along with some improvements in body fat and blood sugar control. The study did not show that anyone lived longer or avoided disease.

What this means for you: This is not proof that a commercial fasting-mimicking diet will extend your life. It may be an interesting short-term option, but the study was small, brief, and measured biological markers rather than actual aging or survival.