The High Low Diet For Humans First Principles

As we have seen, much highly specific and sophisticated information has accumulated about the effects of a high low diet in animals. I am convinced that with a high order of probability the same kind of diet will produce the same beneficial results in humans. It will retard the rate of aging whenever in life it is begun, and even "rejuvenate" the functions of some of our bodily systems.

It will greatly extend maximum as well as average life span, and cut disease susceptibility by at least half. My application of the high low diet principles to humans is based in part upon extrapolation from years of extensive work with nutritional modulation of the aging process in animal populations, and upon data from a few human studies. But just going on a hit or miss long term low calorie diet would not work at all. It might actually shorten life span. Parameters Of The High Low Diet For Humans

The high/low diet program calls for gradual weight reduction over a period of 4 to 6 years, avoiding the danger of malnutrition inherent in any other weight loss regimen that continues this long. The plan is to proceed until you reach, stabilize, and remain at a weight 10 to 25 percent below your personal "set point." The eventual degree of leanness required depends on where you begin. When fully fed, the genetically "ob ob" obese mice I described in Chapter 3 weigh on the average, 60 65 grams. A fully fed genetically normal mouse weighs only 35 to 45 grams. If we put normal mice on a severe calorie restriction program and cut their weights down to 25 gm., their life spans will be greatly extended. On the high/low diet an "ob ob" mouse will not become obese but will level off at about 40 grams.

It will have a very extended life span, because it is weighing in at less than its set point, even though it weighs as much as or more than a normal fully fed mouse. Below their set point, normal mice look razor thin; "ob ob" mice, below their set point, just look normal, or even slightly obese. Heredity and early feeding experience fix a set point for each individual, which is then defended by adaptive processes within the body. These involve the central nervous system, the levels of metabolic enzymes, the amount of "brown fat" in the body (a kind of furnace fat, for generating heat), and alterations in insulin and thyroid gland metabolism.

Unless he or she grossly overeats or under eats, each person tends to maintain a particular characteristic weight. This may be considerably above or below the actual "average weight" for that person's height. The body defends its set point by cleverly shifting the efficiency of its metabolic machine. Take in fewer calories and your body increases its metabolic efficiency; up your intake and your efficiency decreases. This tends to stabilize your weight, although your set point can gradually change.

Michael Russell is a health specialist and has carried out research on many health related things, he also writes many health articles too. If you found the above article useful he recommends you to visit his site at: http://www.online-health-care.com/blog/ for more related articles.