Science translational medicineFeb 17, 2017

Fasting-like diet and its links to signs and risks of aging, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease

Updated Jan 20, 2026

Abstract

Three cycles of a fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) resulted in reductions in body weight, trunk fat, and blood pressure among participants.

The FMD was low in calories, sugars, and protein but high in unsaturated fats.
After 3 months, participants on the FMD showed lower insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels.
No serious adverse effects were reported during the study.
A post hoc analysis indicated greater improvements in risk markers for participants at risk for disease compared to those not at risk.
The findings suggest that a 5-day FMD is safe, feasible, and may effectively reduce markers associated with aging and related diseases.

Simplified

Calorie restriction or changes in dietary composition can enhance healthy aging, but the inability of most subjects to adhere to chronic and extreme diets, as well as potentially adverse effects, limits their application. We randomized 100 generally healthy participants from the United States into two study arms and tested the effects of a fasting-mimicking diet (FMD)-low in calories, sugars, and protein but high in unsaturated fats-on markers/risk factors associated with aging and age-related diseases. We compared subjects who followed 3 months of an unrestricted diet to subjects who consumed the FMD for 5 consecutive days per month for 3 months. Three FMD cycles reduced body weight, trunk, and total body fat; lowered blood pressure; and decreased insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). No serious adverse effects were reported. After 3 months, control diet subjects were crossed over to the FMD program, resulting in a total of 71 subjects completing three FMD cycles. A post hoc analysis of subjects from both FMD arms showed that body mass index, blood pressure, fasting glucose, IGF-1, triglycerides, total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and C-reactive protein were more beneficially affected in participants at risk for disease than in subjects who were not at risk. Thus, cycles of a 5-day FMD are safe, feasible, and effective in reducing markers/risk factors for aging and age-related diseases. Larger studies in patients with diagnosed diseases or selected on the basis of risk factors are warranted to confirm the effect of the FMD on disease prevention and treatment.

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