A five-day, high-priced, low-calorie food plan is called the ProLon Diet. The goal of this diet, which mimics fasting, is to consume just enough food to keep you satisfied but not enough to trigger bodily functions like digestion. Fasting is risky for everyone, even though it may have benefits for some.
Dietitians have long disagreed over whether diets can lead to long-term weight loss. Many fads fail to deliver on their promises, and they come and go. But what happens if we change our perspective on diets and aim to live longer rather than lose weight?
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The ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet was developed with that goal in mind by researcher Dr. Valter Longo, director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California.
The ProLon diet is a brief fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) designed to promote cellular renewal and lengthen life. Weight loss is just “a happy side effect for many people,” according to Melanie Murphy Richter, a registered dietitian nutritionist who works in the Los Angeles region and teaches Nutrition Physiology at the University of California Irvine. She previously trained under Dr. Longo.
Since the 1990s, Dr. Longo has been researching the effects of calorie restriction and fasting on longevity. In 2016, he promoted the ProLon diet, which stands for “pro-longevity,” as a method for people to reap the benefits of fasting without going to extremes.
Research suggests the diet can be beneficial for some users, but harmful to others. Here’s what to know about ProLon.
How does the ProLon Diet work?
A five-day, plant-based diet that mimics fasting is called the ProLon diet.
Fasting goes against the body’s inclination to obtain energy from food and calories. True water-only fasting involves not consuming any calories for one to three days, which forces the body to burn down its own cells, proteins, and lipids for energy. This may start an autophagic process in which the body purges old cells to create room for new ones.
Researchers’ opinions on how long a person can safely fast from food and drink range; some believe it should only last one to three days, while others believe it should last longer than a week. However, it’s crucial to keep in mind that being safe does not always imply being healthy. Additionally, because everyone has different energy requirements, it’s crucial to speak with a doctor before starting a fast.
People who follow an FMD like ProLon do consume calories, but at a rate that is lower than what their bodies require for energy. As a result, the body continues to behave as though it is starving and uses the remaining proteins, lipids, and cells for energy.
The diet nourishes the body but does not activate the cellular food sensors known as nutrient-sensing pathways, according to the ProLon website. This implies that food is sufficient to maintain bodily safety but not to trigger bodily functions like digestion or the use of food as fuel.
What foods are allowed on the ProLon Diet?
A five-day meal kit costs $190 (as of September 2023) for those who join the ProLon diet. If you purchase a three-month supply (three five-day meal kits), discounts are given. So that clients are aware of exactly what to eat each day of the five-day fast, foods are packaged in labeled boxes.
One ProLon meal kit includes:
1-Olives.
2-Kale snacks.
3 powders of dehydrated soup that must be mixed with hot water
4 teas with herbs
5-Bar nuts.
supplements with vitamins and minerals, such as an omega-3 supplement.
a special blend of glycerol and water that, according to the firm, preserves and fuels muscles.
Some people, like Jordan Hill, a registered dietitian nutritionist and recognized specialist in sports dietetics with Top Nutrition Coaching, may find the meal kit amusing. Hill claims that she laughed as she read the ingredient list.
Dietary Nutrient Content of the ProLon Diet
The five-day kit’s foods are designed to offer the right proportions of each macronutrient (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) and the necessary micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). The diet states that it meets necessities even though the daily caloric intake is low—between 750 and 1,100 calories—due to the amount of food consumed. The normal daily consumption for a toddler is 1,200 calories; therefore, this is less than that.
According to Richter, “the foods included in the ProLon fasts are nutrient-dense, meaning they provide essential vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients despite the reduced caloric intake.”
However, depending on how you look at it, Prolon is more of a sort of supplemented starvation than a diet. Putting nutrition aside, the primary function of the chosen items seems to be that they are low-calorie additions to a strict diet plan. According to the business, the application “basically allows users to eat while their cells remain in a fasting state.”
ProLon warns consumers of negative side effects like drowsiness or hunger because fasting isn’t risk-free. If users’ hunger becomes severe, the business advises that they speak with a doctor.
A person’s temporary constipation may also be brought on by their food, or they may develop the “illusion” of constipation if they don’t need to use the restroom as regularly. This can be a usual reaction to eating little food. According to Richter, fasting and diets that imitate fasting can also lead the body to temporarily stop using its digestive systems until it can receive more food.
Benefits of Fasting
The ProLon Diet is based on the premise that occasionally fasting has advantages because it can flush out toxins and promote cellular rejuvenation, or the growth of new cells.
In other words, when food is scarce, the body hunts for energy elsewhere, beginning with within. It starts by devouring fat cells before moving on to protein and muscle cells. “On face value, that doesn’t sound great,” says Hill because many people don’t want to lose muscle mass.
“We’re losing muscle, which is where our strength is, if we’re in this calorie deficit for a long time,” adds Hill.
The body starts devouring unimportant (or least important) cells during this process, which encourages a clean-up. Some people may pursue fat loss as a result of this.
Risks of Fasting
Fasting isn’t healthy for everyone and isn’t sustainable over the long run, even though it can be beneficial for the cells in the short term.
People who menstruate may stop menstruation or lose their period as a result of cellular breakdown brought on by prolonged fasting or famine, among other undesirable effects. According to studies, dieting may stop the production of some hormones and steroids, such as estrogen or gonadal steroids, which might affect the menstrual cycle.As the menstrual cycle is a crucial support for balanced hormones and bone mineral density, this can be harmful to the body.
Furthermore, a protracted fast can have detrimental effects on one’s health, including famine, emaciation, muscle loss, cognitive decline, and even death. For those who are underweight, have low body mass, or are at risk for disordered eating (which can be anyone), even a brief fast can be harmful.
According to Richter, this diet should be avoided by a number of types of people because of its hazards. Risk populations include:
those who are nursing or pregnant.
BMI of those under the age of 18.
individuals with certain medical issues.
Individuals at risk for or with a history of an eating disorder
Before beginning ProLon or any type of fast, people who are interested in the diet should consult a doctor, especially if they have any underlying medical conditions or diagnoses. Hill argues that discussing risks and advantages in the open is preferable to trying something out on your own without assistance.
Consult a physician and a dietitian; frequently, your physicians will meet you where you are, advises Hill. “You can choose whether or not it’s right for you with the help of your health care provider.”
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