Study finds fountain of youth in new diet

If you’ve ever wanted to extend your longevity a new study might have the diet just for you.

New research by scientists at the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre recommend ditching the high protein, low carbohydrate diet and instead opt for a diet low in protein as the most effective way of prolonging life, going so far as to say that such a diet could also fight obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

The diet is said to stimulate the production of a hormone known as fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), which is the so-called ‘fountain of youth’ hormone researchers say is produced primarily in your liver.

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Lead author Dr Samantha Solon-Biet says that while a high protein diet is good for reproductive health in younger adults, by the time you reach age 50 or 60 you should switch to a low-protein diet that is rich in vegetables and other natural carbohydrates if you want to live longer.

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“A diet that optimises later-life health has a protein-to-carbohydrate ration of 1:10,” Solon-Biet says. “What is really cool is that this ratio is strikingly similar to the ratio of the Okinawan people of Japan, who are the longest-lived people in the world.”

It seems this new research has turned popular dietary recommendations on their heads, and despite the popularity of high protein ‘paleo’ diets the research suggests that the exact opposite might be best as you age.

What sort of diet do you follow? Have you followed diet fads over the years for weight loss or improved health? What has worked, and what hasn’t?