Diet Quotes

Caloric restriction (CR)'s usefulness remains doubtful outside of the lab. Very lean animals may be more susceptible to death from infection or cold temperatures. And long-term severe caloric restriction is difficult if not impossible for most humans to sustain. Furthermore, there is no evidence that extreme CR would truly maximize the longevity function in an organism as complex as we humans. [2023] - Peter Attia

I used to recommend long periods of water-only fasting for some of my patients-and practiced it myself. But I no longer do so, because I've become convinced that the drawbacks (mostly having to do with muscle loss and undernourishment) outweigh its metabolic benefits in all but my most overnourished patients. [2023] - Peter Attia

I'm no longer a dogmatic advocate of any particular way of eating, such as a ketogenic diet or any form of fasting. It took me a long time to figure this out, but the fundamental assumption underlying the diet wars, and most nutrition research-that there is one perfect diet that works for every single person-is absolutely incorrect. [2023] - Peter Attia

The results of the large Spanish study known as PREDIMED were so dramatic. The group receiving the olive oil had about a one-third lower incidence (31%) of stroke, heart attack, and death than the low-fat group, and the mixed-nuts group showed a similar reduced risk (28%). By the numbers, the nuts-or-olive-oil "Mediterranean" diet appeared to be as powerful as statins, in terms of number needed to treat (NNT), for primary prevention of heart disease-meaning a population that had not yet experienced an "event" or a clinical diagnosis. [2023] - Peter Attia

TR or time restriction-also known as intermittent fasting-is the latest trend in ways to cut calories. But this can still backfire if you overeat. I have, much to my amusement, watched patients gain weight on a one-meal-a-day approach by turning their meal into a contest to see who could eat the most pizza and ice cream. But the more significant downside of this approach is that most people who try it end up very protein deficient. One not uncommon scenario that we see with TR is that a person loses weight on the scale, but their body composition alters for the worse: they lose lean mass (muscle) while their body fat stays the same or even increases. [2023] - Peter Attia

Avoiding diabetes and related metabolic dysfunction-especially by eliminating or reducing junk food-is very important to longevity. There appears to be a strong link between calories and cancer, the leading cause of death. The quality of the food you eat should be as important as the quantity. If you're eating the SAD (Standard American Diet), then you should eat much less of it. Conversely, if your diet is high quality to begin with, and you are metabolically healthy,, then only a slight degree of caloric restriction-or simply not eating to excess-can still be beneficial. [2023] - Peter Attia

A significant issue with Dietary Restriction (DR) is that everyone's metabolism is different. Some people will lose tremendous amounts of weight and improve their metabolic markers on a low-carbohydrate or ketogenic diet, while others will actually gain weight and see their lipid markers go haywire-on the exact same diet. Conversely, some people might lose weight on a low-fat diet, while others will gain weight. Any form of DR that restricts protein is probably a bad idea for most people, because it likely also impairs the maintenance or growth of muscle. Similarly, replacing carbohydrates with lots of saturated fats can backfire if it sends your apoB concentration (and thus your cardiovascular disease risk) sky-high. [2023] - Peter Attia

The real art to dietary restriction, Nutrition 3.0-style, is not picking which evil foods we're eliminating. Rather, it's finding the best mix of macronutrients for our patient-coming up with an eating pattern that helps them achieve their goals, in a way that they can sustain. This is a tricky balancing act, and it requires us to forget about labels and viewpoints and drill down into nutritional biochemistry. [2023] - Peter Attia

Rice and oatmeal are surprisingly glycemic (meaning they cause a sharp rise in glucose levels), despite not being particularly refined; more surprising is that brown rise is only slightly less glycemic than long-grain white rice. Nonstarchy veggies such as spinach or broccoli have virtually no impact on blood sugar. Foods high in protein and fat (e.g., eggs, beef short ribs) have virtually no effect on blood sugar (assuming the short ribs are not coated in sweet sauce), but large amounts of lean protein (e.g., chicken breast) will elevate glucose slightly. Protein shakes, especially if low in fat, have a more pronounced effect (particularly if they contain sugar, obviously). [2023] - Peter Attia

The first thing you need to know about protein is that the standard recommendations for daily consumption are a joke. Right now the US recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8g/kg of body weight. This may reflect how much protein we need to stay alive, but it's a far cry from what we need to thrive. More than one study has found that elderly people consuming that RDA of protein (0.8g/kg/day) end up losing muscle mass, even in as short a period as 2 weeks. In my patients I typically set 1.6g/kg/day as the minimum, which is twice the RDA. The ideal amount can vary from person to person, but the data suggest that for active people with normal kidney function, one gram per pound of body weight per day (or 2.2g/kg/day) is a good place to start-nearly triple the minimal recommendation. [2023] - Peter Attia

Older people in particular should try to keep track of their lean mass, such as via a body-composition-measuring scale (or better yet, DEXA scan), and adjust their protein intake upwards if lean mass declines. For me and my patients, this works out to 4 servings of protein per day (each at ~0.25g/lb of body weight), with at least one of them being a whey protein shake (Typically, I'll consume a protein shake, a high-protein snack, and two protein meals). The overall quality of protein derived from plants is significantly lower than that from animal products. The same is true of protein supplements. Whey protein isolate (from dairy) is richer in available amino acids than soy protein isolate. [2023] - Peter Attia

We try to boost monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) closer to 50-55%, while cutting saturated fatty acids (SFA) down to 15-20% and adjusting total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) to fill the gap. Putting all these changes into practice typically means eating more extra virgin olive oil (and high-MUFA vegetable oils) and avocados and nuts, cutting back on (but not necessarily eliminating) things like butter and lard, and reducing the omega-6-rich corn, soybean, and sunflower oils-while also looking for ways to increase high-omega-3 marine PUFAs from sources such as salmon and anchovies (or taking EPA and DHA supplements in capsule or oil form). [2023] - Peter Attia

While intermittent fasting and eating "windows" have become popular and even trendy in recent years, I've grown skeptical of their effectiveness. And frequent longer-term fasting has enough negatives attached to it that I'm reluctant to use it in all but the most metabolically sick patients. The jury is still out on the utility of infrequent (e.g. yearly) prolonged fasts. Overall, I've come to believe that fasting-based interventions must be utilized carefully and with precision. [2023] - Peter Attia

Three studies found no weight loss or cardiometabolic benefits on a 16/8 eating pattern (16 hours of fasting, 8 hours to eat). One other study did find that shifting the eating window to early in the day, from 8 am to 2 pm, actually did result in lower 24-hour glucose levels, reduced glucose excursions, and lower insulin levels compared to controls. So perhaps an early-day feeding window could be effective, but in my view 16 hours without food simply isn't long enough to activate autophagy or inhibit chronic mTOR elevation. Another drawback is that you're virtually guaranteed to miss your protein target with this approach. [2023] - Peter Attia

One small but revealing study found that subjects on an alternate-day fasting (ADF) diet did lose weight-but they also lost more lean mass (i.e. muscle) than subjects who simply ate 25% fewer calories every day. This study was limited because of its small size and short duration, but it suggests that fasting might cause some people, especially lean people, to lose too much muscle. On top of this, the ADF group had much lower activity levels during the study, which suggests that they were not feeling very good on the days they were not eating. [2023] - Peter Attia

If there is one type of food that I would eliminate from everyone's diet if I could, it would be fructose-sweetened drinks, including both sodas and fruit juices, which deliver too much fructose, too quickly, to a gut and liver that much prefer to process fructose slowly. Just eat fruit and let nature provide the right amount of fiber and water. [2023] - Peter Attia

Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) has among its many actions, the ability to stabilize lymphatic vessels by protecting and enhancing the endothelial cells (the ones on the lining) of the lymph system. Another supplement that seems to help with protecting the various parts of the lymph system is Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum), a rich source of resveratrol. Additionally, both pleurisy root (Asclepias tuberosa) and inmortal (Asclepias asperula) can help stimulate lymph drainage from the lungs. All these can be found on Amazon or in health food stores. [2021] - Gerald Lemole

Resveratrol-a polyphenol found in grapes and wines-has a protective effect when it comes to diseases of the brain, especially Alzheimer's, according to recent research. Pterostilbene-another polyphenol, similar to resveratrol, found in blueberries-is far better absorbed and three to four times better utilized than resveratrol. It supports a healthy lymphatic system by promoting healthy blood flow and circulation, nitric oxide synthesis, better control of blood pressure, and protecting the endothelial cells. [2021] - Gerald Lemole

Low-protein diets (less meat, fish, and eggs) extended lifespan by switching on the longevity pathway that protects DNA, cells, and tissues from the inevitable damage done during growth and reproduction. The longevity pathway is universal—from yeast cells to humans. Low protein needed to be combined with high carb (low-calorie vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains) to promote longest life. A low-protein, high-fat diet (fatty foods, such as butter, vegetable oils, or fried foods) didn’t yield the same longevity benefits as a low-protein, high-carb diet. [2020] - David Raubenheimer

Health experts agree that industrial trans fats are the most toxic of all fats in our food supply, estimated by the World Health Organization to cause half a million deaths worldwide each year due to heart disease. And this is even though they are now banned in some high-income countries, led by Denmark in 2005, and followed by Iceland, Austria, and Switzerland. In 2018, the United States followed suit but only after some states, including New York, implemented their own bans. Trans fats are still a significant part of the food supply in many lower- and middle-income countries and even some richer ones.  [2020] - David Raubenheimer