Expert-Backed Diet Outperforms Weight-Loss Drugs, Says Longevity Professor

POLICY WIRE — City, Country — As the debate over weight loss drugs continues, Professor Valter Longo, director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California, advocates for a diet that naturally enhances the production of appetite-reducing GLP-1s.

Weight loss medications often imitate the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which diminishes appetite after eating. Although these drugs have shown short-term effectiveness, they come with side effects like muscle loss, and weight regain is common once usage stops.

Professor Longo suggests that instead of relying on drugs, individuals should adopt diets that stimulate their body’s natural GLP-1 production. He emphasizes eating more, not less, to achieve satiety and reduce hunger.

His recommended reset diet involves consuming a large volume of food with a standard calorie count, tailored to individual needs. It incorporates a variety of smart meal compositions to elicit the desired effects.

The Longevity Diet, inspired by the Mediterranean and Okinawa diets, is primarily plant-based with limited meat and fish. It sets low protein targets, mainly from beans, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, to maintain optimal levels of the amino acid methionine.

This diet aims to increase GLP-1 levels while avoiding the muscle loss and frailty associated with weight loss drugs. It also limits saturated fats and confines eating to a 12-hour window.

Professor Longo advises selecting foods similar to those eaten by ancestors, rich in fiber, adequate protein, and unsaturated fats, which are linked to healthy longevity.

An exemplary meal under this diet would include 250g of vegetables, 250g of legumes, and 70g of starches like rice or pasta, amounting to a substantial half-kilogram serving.

He stresses the importance of personalizing the diet, suggesting that the UK, for instance, should develop its own version of The Longevity Diet, reflecting traditional eating habits.

Trial and error can help individuals fine-tune this dietary approach to suit their needs, adjusting protein intake and the balance of plant-based to animal proteins as necessary.

Professor Longo believes that GLP-1 drugs receive undue attention, overshadowing more effective, science-based weight loss methods. He argues that these drugs offer only short-term solutions and that most people will not adhere to them long-term.

His goal is to create a sustainable, lifelong dietary strategy that mimics the effects of weight loss drugs using natural foods.

This diet not only aids in weight management but also regulates insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) levels and may increase the release of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), contributing to slower ageing, cancer prevention, and better energy and blood sugar regulation.

Professor Longo calls for a shift in healthcare towards understanding the complex interplay of hormones and health markers, advocating for dietary prescriptions over pharmaceutical interventions.

He acknowledges that in certain cases, such as severe obesity or diabetes, weight loss drugs may be a viable option after other dietary methods have failed.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)