What is the five-day FMD?

The five-day fasting mimicking diet (FMD) is a program that aims to mimic the effects of fasting while still allowing some food intake. It was developed by the laboratory of USC Leonard Davis School Professor Valter Longo.

As the name suggests, it involves consuming a low-calorie, low-protein, and low-carbohydrate diet for typically five consecutive days.

Adherents can be expected to eat plant-based soups, energy bars, energy drinks, chip snacks, and tea portioned out over the five days as well as a supplement providing high levels of minerals, vitamins, and essential fatty acids.

​The short duration makes it more manageable for individuals than longer fasting periods.

This is thought to improve adherence and reduce dietary fatigue, making it easier to integrate into existing lifestyles.

It has been developed to be used in periodic cycles from every two weeks to every several months.

Unlike traditional fasting, FMD provides a controlled intake of essential nutrients, allowing individuals to experience some of the benefits of fasting while still obtaining vital nutrients.

This feature reduces the concerns associated with long-term fasting, such as nutrient deficiencies.

What the health benefits?

In a first-of-its-kind study, published in the journal Nature Communications, FMD was found to lower a person’s biological age by an average of 2½ years.

Cycles of FMD reduced signs of immune system ageing, as well as insulin resistance and liver fat in humans, and decreased the risks of age-related illnesses, resulting in a lower biological age.

It comes after a previous study looked at effects of FMD on markers and risk factors associated with ageing and age-related diseases.

Subjects who consumed the FMD for five consecutive days per month for three months had decreased body weight and total body fat, reduced blood pressure, and lowered IGF-1 serum levels – a hormone that is essential for tissue and bone growth.