In this insightful episode of Levity, Dr. Valter Longo—gerontology professor, longevity researcher, and creator of the Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD)—discusses his life’s work, personal journey, and revolutionary views on ageing, diet, and the healthcare system. From his early days as a jazz musician to pioneering research on calorie restriction and fasting, Longo shares the powerful science behind living longer and healthier.

Key Points:

Dr. Valter Longo outlines a science-backed roadmap to healthy ageing, grounded in evolutionary biology, nutrition, and clinical trials. His fasting mimicking diet bridges rigorous science with real-world feasibility for disease prevention and lifespan extension.

• The Five-Pillar Approach to Longevity Science: Dr. Longo explains his “five pillars” framework—centenarian studies, epidemiology, clinical trials, basic research, and complex systems modelling—as a holistic method for evaluating dietary and longevity interventions.
• The Origins of the Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD): After observing the challenges of prolonged fasting in cancer patients, Longo developed the FMD—a low-calorie, plant-based protocol that activates fasting responses without requiring complete food abstinence.
• Why 5 Days? The Science Behind FMD Duration: Five-day cycles are ideal for triggering autophagy (cellular cleanup), stem cell activation, and organ regeneration—effects that shorter fasts cannot reliably achieve.
• Autophagy and Refeeding - The Regeneration Cycle: Longo highlights how true rejuvenation comes not just from fasting-induced autophagy but also from the refeeding phase, which activates developmental genes to rebuild tissues.
• Protein Intake and Muscle Health- Rethinking the Numbers: Contrary to high-protein trends, Longo advocates for a moderate approach: ~0.8g/kg before age 65 and slightly more after, with emphasis on quality, plant-based sources.
• The Dangers of the "Thrifty Mode" and Yo-Yo Dieting: Over-restricting calories can slow metabolism long-term, making weight loss harder and increasing health risks—a pitfall Longo aims to avoid with short, structured FMD cycles.
• Critique of Ketogenic and High-Protein Diets: Longo warns against extreme low-carb or high-protein regimens, linking them to shorter lifespans and increased disease risk, especially when sustained long-term.
• The Healthcare “Unconspiracy” and Lifestyle Medicine: He criticizes current health systems for incentivizing treatment over prevention and calls for a “digital lifestyle medicine school” model to guide people toward sustainable health.