The Fasting-Mimicking Diet is the easiest, fastest, and potentially healthiest way to help the body rejuvenate and fight many diseases while maintaining a positive outlook on cell health and longevity. It is also one of the fastest ways to get into what is known as the state of ketosis.

In the state of ketosis, the body shifts from burning stored glucose in the liver (glycogen) for fuel to burning fat for energy.

But this diet is not just about losing weight. One does not have to intend on shedding pounds to reap the benefits of the FMD.

The Fasting Mimicking Diet can literally reboot the internal body system, fight off diseases, and rejuvenate cells.

In this post, we will present the Fasting Mimicking Diet benefits, the diet’s minor potential downside if not followed correctly, and a list of people who should avoid being on the FMD.

If you want to know how to do the diet, including the ingredients you will need and example meal plans, then read our post titled How To Do The Fasting Mimicking Diet (A 5 Day Plan For Weight Loss & Longevity).

Introduction- Fast Track To Ketosis & Cell Regeneration

The Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) has been clinically tested at the University of Southern California by Dr. Valter Longo. It was initially tested on mice and later extended to humans.

According to Dr. Longo and his research team, prolonged fasting has been proven to have positive gene response on a cellular level. It also has been shown to protect cells from diseases, as well as potentially improve longevity. It can also help in weight loss.

The results were published in a study that concluded that prolonged fasting is very beneficial for its healing effects.

*Note: If you have any questions about the validity of the Fasting Mimicking Diet, be sure to consult with your doctor. 

The Dr. Longo Fasting Diet- In The Lab

The study on the Fasting Mimicking Diet by Dr. Longo lasted about two decades and concentrated on “nutrients sensing pathways” in cells.

One area of interest was the diet’s positive effects on the process of aging and on age-related diseases. These diseases include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, spinal muscular atrophy, and many more).

Neurodegenerative diseases fall under the range of conditions that affect the neurons in the brain. Here are some of the most common symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases:

• Mood swings.
• Anxiety.
• Forgetfulness.
• Feeling nervous and agitated.
• Loss of inhibition.
• Apathy.
• Memory loss.

Dr. Longo put mice on a rodent-version of the Fasting Mimicking Diet. While on the experiment, Dr. Longo noted that the prolonged fasting benefits extended to the vital internal organs of the mice in question.

The effects of this diet were noted at the end of the study with the following observations:

• The mice lived longer than expected, had more positive vitality, had a lower number of blood sugar than they had before, and had fewer tumors.
• Most importantly, the study went on to include more subjects and to show that these benefits extend to humans.

What Are The Fasting Mimicking Diet Benefits?

There are many benefits to the FMD. Here are the top ones:

(a) Helps you lose weight. 

• A lot of people go on the Fasting Mimicking Diet to lose weight.
• The FMD will not only reduce your body weight, but it will actually trim off some fat from the visceral areas of your body and around your internal organs.

(b) Improves memory health, reduces tumors, and prolongs longevity (as shown in the study on mice).

• An animal study on mice put on the Fasting Mimicking Diet showed conclusive evidence of how beneficial the diet is.
• It reduced tumors while improving longevity.
• The fats in the diet helped boost memory health.

(c) Lowers your blood pressure.

• The super nutrients in the Fasting Mimicking Diet will help you improve your heart health while decreasing your blood pressure.

(d) Can reverse diabetes in some cases. 

• This diet will help you improve the transportation of glucose to the cells.
• This means that it can aid a diabetic keep their blood sugar in check.

(e) Helps with arthritis, multiple sclerosis and overall inflammation. 

• The fact that this diet is very low in carbohydrates will help you lower inflammation in your body.
• This is great news for people who suffer from arthritis or have arthritic conditions and who might need special products.

RELATED: 25 Perfect Gifts For People With Arthritis.

(f) Promotes heart health by lowering cholesterol.

• This diet is low in carbs and high on good fats, which are great for the heart.
• It is no longer a secret that loading up on good fats, such as those found in avocados, can help prevent heart disease and cholesterol.

Fasting Mimicking Diet vs Intermittent Fasting: What Is The Difference?

“FMD” is short for Fasting Mimicking Diet. “IF” is short for intermittent fasting.

While what you eat on the Fasting Mimicking Diet allows a very limited caloric intake to be consumed during a set of 5 days in one month (which can be repeated monthly), intermittent fasting restricts foods during a set amount of time throughout the day (for example no food for 16 hours or more).

You may add some nutrients to your drinks during the intermittent fasting period, (i.e. water with lemon juice) but the calories should not exceed 50 calories total during the fast.

Keeping the calories under 50 allows the body to remain in a fasting state.

FMD’s Effects: Goodbye Keto Flu, Hello Weight Loss And Health Benefits

Ketosis is a metabolic state where the body switches from burning carbohydrates for energy to burning fat. It is a common term used by people on the ketogenic diet, the paleo diet, or the Atkins diet.

We have written extensively on the subject of the ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting. For more details, check out the post titled Ketogenic Diet And Fasting 101 (For Weight Loss, Brain, Skin, Wellness).

The Fasting Mimicking Diet is a way to kickstart the production of ketones in the body. When it comes to getting into ketosis, one of the best benefits of the 5 day Fasting Mimicking Diet is that it will not make you feel the full effects of the traditional “keto flu.” It may, though, if you are have never been in ketosis, or if your diet was high in carbohydrates prior to undergoing the FMD.

This keto flu is mostly felt by people who get into ketosis, usually for the first time. It’s not actually the flu. It carries with it flu-like symptoms, where your body gets achy for a few hours or a few days.

The severity of the symptoms depends on the amount of glycogen in the liver. It is correlated with the amount of carbohydrates that the body must get rid of before switching to the fat burning mode.

While your liver works hard at depleting all the stored glycogen, it also releases ketone bodies. These ketones work like little soldiers to go and fetch the fat cells, instead of glucose, and transform them into energy.

This process also increases the water excretion in the body. In essence, it depletes a lot of the electrolytes from your body along the way, just like what happens during sports activities.

These electrolytes have salts, such as potassium, calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, and sodium. They are crucial to life and they can all help the cells and the nerves stay healthy while being charged up with electricity.

Without electrolytes, the body would literally die.

Most green drink superfoods that are incorporated into the FMD will be able to replenish some, if not all, of your lost electrolytes.

How Long Should The Fasting Mimicking Diet Last?

Since fasting with only water can be dangerous (especially if done without the supervision of a doctor), the Fasting Diet might be a good alternative to having a low caloric intake during the day while loading the body with nutrients.

The FMD was created to last for only 5 days each month.

With FMD, you will restrict your caloric intake to a very minimum amount (about 800 calories) while you nourish your body with a few ingredients that we have covered in post on how to do the Fasting Mimicking Diet, such as macadamia nuts, avocados (usually either, or, but not both), water, and green superfood with some selective supplements.

This diet is healing and healthy. This is unless you have certain conditions that are discussed in the section below about who should not do the diet.

For those who can do the diet, the benefits are numerous…

• You can lose a ton of fat doing this diet.
• You can reduce the inflammation in your body (you will notice a slimmer waist).
• You can switch to another diet, such as the ketogenic diet after the initial 5 days, where you eat a lot more fatty foods, but still limit your intake of protein and carbohydrates, or you can switch to your normal “healthy” way of eating.
• The health and healing benefits are amazing and can literally lessen or even reverse a lot of adverse conditions.

Are There Any Drawbacks To The Fasting Mimicking Diet?

Although the downside of the five day Fasting Mimicking Diet is minimal, there could be some side effects if you prolong this diet for more than 5 days each month.

• Prolonging this diet to over 5 days per month may bring on malnutrition, and this would be the LAST thing we’d want for you.
• If you suffer from a chronic illness and are on medication, make sure to consult with your doctor before undergoing any such diet. This is absolutely a must, especially if you are taking medication, because the electrolyte consumption may interfere with the absorption of some medicines.

What Do You Eat On The 5 Day Fasting Mimicking Diet?

In a nutshell…

• You will primarily be eating avocados (two per day), or 8 total tablespoons of macadamia nuts (per day).
• You will be drinking 2 green superfood drinks per day.
• You will be incorporating some electrolytes in the mix, especially if your green superfood drinks do not have all the necessary nutrients.
• You should be drinking enough water per day to stay hydrated (for example, 1 gallon of water with electrolytes or salt). Check out the full post on how to do the FMD (5 day plan). 

Who Should Not Be On The Fasting Mimicking Diet?

This diet should not be undertaken by people who have the following conditions:

• Chronically ill people. Check with your doctor.
• People who are taking medication. Your medicine may interfere with the electrolytes intake used in this diet. Check with your doctor.
• Young people under the age of 18. They need all the nutrients they can possibly get to keep growing.
• Menstruating women. Wait until you are done with your period to avoid mood related issues and hormone imbalances.
• Pregnant women. Your baby is growing inside of you and your hormones are fluctuating. Eat regular, nutritious foods.
• Nursing women. Your milk will need to be full of nutrients and this diet may be deficient in some, so eat regular foods.

READ MORE: The 5 Popular Intermittent Fasting Protocols (Fasting Tips And Tricks).

The Bottom Line On The Fasting Mimicking Diet

The fasting Mimicking Diet is a great way to help you not only lose weight on the outside, but also visceral fat on the inside of the body, at the organ level.

The FMD will help reboot your immune system, while potentially reversing some adverse health conditions including lowering blood pressure and improving the bad effects of diabetes.

The Fasting Mimicking Diet should not last more than 5 days each month, or every other month.

What about you?

Have you ever been on the Fasting Mimicking Diet? Share your experience and let us know your opinion on the subject.

Be well.