FROM SCIENCE TO TABLE: THE BIRTH OF PROLON
When we hear about fasting, we could think that it is practice too difficult to do, as in the collective image it refers only to the total abstinence from any type of food.
This is not exactly true: in the last decades, many fasting protocols has been studied and tested, with the aim to support people in doing it.
In particular, a team of scientists at the Longevity Institute of the University of Southern California, led by Professor Valter Longo, made a revolutionary discovery in this field, demonstrating that we can eat specific food combinations while triggering the typical metabolic pathways of an only-water fasting.
How is it possible?
Professor Longo and his team has shown that a diet of 5 consecutive days, with a specific nutritional profile low in carbohydrates and protein, can mimic a state of fasting while helping your body detox and stay properly nourished. The Fasting Mimicking Technology is a revolution in the field of nutrition, as it transforms the concept of fasting.
As we know, this is a very ancient practice in human history: the inhabitants of the so-called blue zones of our planet, known for their longevity, used to take regular meals throughout the day, taking advantage of the daylight hours and fasting at night for about 12 hours, thus following the biological rhythms of our body; then, they also practiced periods of caloric restriction, for religious or cultural reasons.
So, in their life they restricted calories and nutrients periodically, and this practice had a very positive influence on their healthspan, as Professor Valter Longo demonstrated by studying the centenarians’ eating pattern and lifestyle all around the world.
However, fasting could be difficult to do, as people may incur in nutritional deficiencies or other side effects typically associated with a long starvation, if done wrong or without a proper medical support; by using an evidence-based program, period of caloric restriction can provide us several benefits, as it promotes a multi-system detox that involves all our cells.
In specific, a Prolonged fasting can trigger an important metabolic process linked to cellular protection and rejuvenation, known as autophagy: through it, our body can replace old, worn-out cellular components, in order to promote cell renewal, healthy aging and, so, longevity.
Why a 5-day Fasting Mimicking DietTM?
Professor Valter Longo and his team has understood and demonstrated the importance of fasting for our health, but they wanted to find a protocol that could mitigate the burden and the possible side effects associated with this practice.
The 5-day Fasting Mimicking DietTM has this specific purpose: it allows your body to mimic a state of fasting and detox, triggering autophagy and inhibiting nutrient-sensing pathways, while providing essential nutrients to nourish and support it.
They studied the food combination to make this process possible, and the scientific research is still ongoing so to find further application in more nutritional and medical fields.
The birth of ProLon®
When the Fasting Mimicking DietTM finally was patented, the next step was to create a kit accessible and available for everyone who can follow this kind of protocol.
It was important to bring science to our tables, so to let people approach this practice in an easier way.
Valter Longo decided to found L-Nutra, a company leader in nutritechnology for longevity, which developed the first kit, named ProLon®: a pro longevity evidence-based program, that allows everyone of us to approach safely a Fasting Mimicking DietTM.
ProLon® is available and accessible in different countries all around the world, as our mission is to add more life to life, giving everyone the ability to thrive without limits beyond the boundaries of aging.
It is well known that our lifestyle and eating choices deeply influence the period of our life we spend healthy. Including ProLon® into our habits, by doing it periodically, can promote healthspan, support our metabolic balance and help us reach our health goals.
We truly believe that the science world should work to find the best solutions that allow people achieve health care, not sick care. In this light we will be able to reach our full potential, so to transform the food we eat daily into our best medicine!