High Intensity Health: #267: Fasting, Autophagy & mTOR Inhibition w/ Peter Attia, MD

Podcast Notes Key Takeaways The only two interventions that really seem to offer longevity benefits are rapamycin supplementation and some degree of fastingThey both suppress mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) and in turn increase autophagyAutophagy is the process by which cells eat themselves – the dysfunctional cells (like cancer cells) tend to be “eaten” firstIt’s currently impossible to measure the level of autophagy taking place in the body FastingFasting is the single most potent tool in our toolbox of nutritionPeter estimates that around day 3 of a prolonged water-only fast autophagy starts taking placeThe fasting function:F (x,y,z) (AKA fasting is a function of x, y, and z)x = the amount you restrict calories (100% = full calorie restriction)y = the duration of the fastz = the frequency at which the fast is repeatedFor example, Peter does a 7-day fast once per quarter = F (100%, 7 days, 90 days)There are TONS of different fasting regimensBut because we can’t measure autophagy – “Anyone who says theirs is the best is either delusional or incapably of understand combinatorial mathematics”During his prolonged fasts, Peter tries to lift as heavy as possible every day (to stimulate mTOR in the muscle – to prevent muscle loss)What does/doesn’t break a fast largely depends on the reason you’re fasting in the first placeIf the purpose of your fast is caloric restriction and weight loss:Coffee and even eating celery wouldn’t technically break itIf the purpose of your fast is gut rest:Coffee breaks the fastIf the purpose of your fast is to increase autophagy:We don’t know if something like coffee would break the fast (since we can’t measure autophagy)Oral NR (nicotinamide riboside) (it’s a NAD+ precursor) supplementation and intravenous NAD+ administration are both probably useless“If there was one disease state that seems to benefit more from a ketogenic diet than any of the others it’s type 2 diabetes”

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Peter Attia, MD, is one of the leading thought leaders in the field of enhancing lifespan through dietary changes, intermittent fasting (IF) and exercise.

In this show, we discuss a range of exciting topics with a focus on enhancing autophagy and inhibiting mTOR through nutrition, fasting and pharmacology.

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Link to video version, research and show notes: https://highintensityhealth.com/267