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Fasting Mimicking Diets and Mast Cell Disorders

Old Bones

Senior Member
Messages
808
Until today, I hadn't heard about "Fasting Mimicking Diets" (FMDs). But now, I'm intrigued by the apparently new research that fasting can prevent mast cell degranulation (the process that releases histamine into the blood stream from mast cells). Perhaps this is why I feel better, at least initially, when I don't eat for a few days. Of course, that isn't an option, long-term.

FMDs allow 725 to 1100 calories daily, offering the correct breakdown of macro and micronutrients needed to convince the body it's starving. It offers the benefits of water fasting, but with less stress to the body. For now, the diet requires food replacement products that are only available for sale through the website of the doctor that developed the plan. Perhaps more will be known in the future, allowing patients to develop a "do-it-yourself" FMD.

Here's a link to a description of FMDs:

http://healinghistamine.com/fasting-mimicking-diet-for-mast-cells-and-histamine/

Any thoughts?
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
@Old Bones I just bookmarked this post on PR and the page in my browser so I can read through it later. Until I read it, I have no opinion but will definitely get back to you on this one.

My experience matches yours in that when I fast for a day or eat very little food for a few days in a row, I feel significantly better overall and am certain it is b/c less histamine is being released and fewer mast cells are degranulating from having to cope with the food. Fasting actually improves (raises) my low blood pressure vs. making it worse (which many doctors cannot grasp).

Thanks for posting and will get back to read it later. Hope you are doing well and glad to see you back!
 

ahmo

Senior Member
Messages
4,805
Location
Northcoast NSW, Australia
Last year I did a 3-day water fast for histamines. Critterina had good results, possted about it in Critterina's Histamine journal at pr. I did it twice, but the 2nd time was very hard, too stressful for my body. The one you've linked, from Yasmina, involves prepared packets of food. Some people commented at the end of her article that it wasn't possible to get ingredients or cost of the product until registering for it.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
@Old Bones I looked through the website but I can't find anything that lists the ingredients of the foods proposed. Am I missing it? I would not have any problems with the fasting or the proportions but would not eat anything in which I did not know the ingredients (especially the fillers or additives used which are my biggest triggers). One of the pictures of the soup has a picture of a red tomato which is something that I cannot eat so it makes me wonder what else is there?

Some people commented at the end of her article that it wasn't possible to get ingredients or cost of the product until registering for it.

If this is the case, it is not something that I could ever attempt and makes it feel more like a money making venture than something meant to truly help people. When people have very few safe foods and are low income, this would not work in the patient's favor. I have a wide variety of what I can eat now so this is not something that I would personally risk at this time (although it might work for others).
 

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
Calorie restriction diets, with huge benefits, are very old news. This seems to be a play on that research. I think, with some research, someone who is motivated could come up with a low cal diet that is suitable and uses regular food. Calorie restriction is not the same as dieting, the purpose is different, though dieting uses calorie restriction. The point of such diets is to load up on micronutrients, while limiting macronutrients, and obtaining all essential nutrients.
 

Old Bones

Senior Member
Messages
808
I looked through the website but I can't find anything that lists the ingredients of the foods proposed. Am I missing it?

No, you're not missing it. I couldn't find a list of ingredients either. The only details I could find are that all the foods are plant-based, plus the following quote in the FAQ's:

"The ProLon® dietary program is lactose-free; so people who are lactose intolerant are able to take the diet. All of the items except the choco crisp bar are gluten-free. Participants with food allergies such as nuts, gluten, soy, tomato, or with any other known allergies to the ingredients, should avoid consuming ProLon® or wait until a version of ProLon® is produced that is free of allergens."

Of course, how can potential participants know if they have "any other known allergies to the ingredients" if this information isn't available without placing an order???

. . . makes it feel more like a money making venture than something meant to truly help people.

I agree. Why the secrecy?

I've tried to determine if Doctor Longo is a well-respected researcher, but couldn't. I did, however, find an interesting article published in The Guardian at:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeand...ting-facts-is-the-52-diet-too-good-to-be-true

I found this opinion about the health/longevity benefits of fasting interesting:

"Who should we believe? Ideally, the scientist whose results are based on a study of many human participants over many years. In other words, no one, so far, . . . "

I guess for now I'll have to stick with the laborious process of testing real foods myself, with the hope that I'll eventually develop a diet that works for me. Thanks for your interest, @Gingergrrl .
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
Participants with food allergies such as nuts, gluten, soy, tomato, or with any other known allergies to the ingredients, should avoid consuming ProLon® or wait until a version of ProLon® is produced that is free of allergens."

Thanks and this would never work for me since I have been gluten free for three years and I cannot eat nuts (except almonds so far) and I cannot eat red tomatoes (but I can eat yellow tomatoes). I hope to eventually be able to eat everything although I plan to remain gluten free forever. Good find and this confirms it is not for me! I have to test each new food individually and when I don't do this, it is always a mistake.
 

ahmo

Senior Member
Messages
4,805
Location
Northcoast NSW, Australia
I had such a miserable day yesterday that I didn't eat my PM meal, and am going to turn it into some version of 3 day fast-mimicking. I'm linking some articles I've come up with.

QUOTE]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/wellbeing/diet/why-weve-all-been-doing-the-fast-diet-wrong/[
So when can we start? Currently, Prof Longo is currently writing a definitive guide to FMD, and a company he established called L Nutra will produce a five-day nutrition pack, containing soups, drinks and bars, called ProLon (costing about £150, and available in the UK in the autumn). All profits from the book and ProLon will be donated to charity, he says. While diets have created multi-million empires for some, it seems this is most definitely not a money-making project.[/QUOTE]

https://thequantifiedbody.net/fast-mimicking-diet/

https://www.quantifiedbob.com/2016/04/fasting-mimicking-diet/

http://joshmitteldorf.scienceblog.com/2015/07/08/fasting-mimicking-diet-a-disclaimer/
http://agingadvice.org/FMD-Recipes.html
http://joshmitteldorf.scienceblog.com/2015/06/26/one-week-two-innovations-in-aging-and-health/
 

ebethc

Senior Member
Messages
1,901
Years ago, I did a semi-fast w UltraClear (metagenics) and I felt great once I got past the first 48 hours.... However, I felt the same after the semi-fast... Maybe I didn't do it long enough? Or, maybe I didn't have the right cadence, ie, experimenting w 3-4 days on, 3-4 days off, or something similar. Thorne also makes meal replacement powders w protein, aminos, vitamins....

Both the Thorne and the Metagenics powders are not cheap, ~$90 for ~4 days.. However, they are hypoallergenic and I think they're probably cheaper than the prolon