Two diets, one goal: Could combining fasting-mimicking and longevity diets be the key to a longer life?

At the American College of Lifestyle Medicine annual meeting, USC longevity researcher Valter Longo, PhD, made the case for combining two dietary strategies to fight aging: the periodic fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) and an everyday longevity diet. The FMD — a 5-day, low-calorie, low-protein, high-fat, 100% plant-based plan done monthly or quarterly — mimics the effects of water-only fasting without the harsh side effects, triggering autophagy, stem cell activation, and cellular reprogramming to give the body a biological "reset."

The everyday longevity diet, inspired by Blue Zone populations in Okinawa, Loma Linda, and the Mediterranean, is a low-protein, low-methionine plan personalized to the individual. Together, the two diets work on different timescales — one rejuvenating, one preventive — to lower biological age and delay disease.

Key Takeaways:

• The FMD has been tested in 45+ clinical trials, showing benefits in Crohn's disease, colitis, cancer, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome
• In a Stanford trial on Crohn's disease, drugs + FMD outperformed drugs alone in achieving disease regression
• In a diabetes trial, 70% of patients on FMD cycles were able to reduce their diabetes medication dose or number
• Both diets should be supervised by a nutritionist, especially for those over 65 or with existing conditions

Why it matters: These diets offer clinicians a science-backed, low-risk tool to complement standard care — potentially reducing patients' reliance on medications while addressing the root causes of aging and chronic disease.