Food

Intermittent Fasting: Research on Longevity Benefits
Intermittent fasting (IF) has moved from niche trend to mainstream longevity strategy. But what does the science actually say about its impact on aging and healthspan? Let’s break down the latest research and how you can safely incorporate IF into your lifestyle.

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

  • Time-Restricted Eating: Limiting food intake to a specific window each day (e.g., 8 hours eating, 16 hours fasting).
  • Alternate-Day Fasting: Alternating between days of normal eating and days of significant calorie reduction.
  • Periodic Fasting: Fasting for 24+ hours, one or two times per week or month.

Potential Longevity Benefits

  • Cellular Repair: Fasting triggers autophagy—a process where cells clean out damaged components, supporting tissue health and resilience.
  • Metabolic Health: IF improves insulin sensitivity, lowers blood sugar, and reduces inflammation—key drivers of age-related diseases.
  • Weight Management: Many find IF easier to sustain than constant calorie restriction, supporting healthy weight over time.
  • Brain Health: Animal studies show IF may enhance neuroplasticity and protect against neurodegeneration.
  • Longevity Signals: Lower insulin and IGF-1 levels, as seen in IF, are associated with longer lifespan in animal models.

Science Spotlight

  • Recent Clinical Trials: A 2022 review in Cell Metabolism found that intermittent fasting protocols (including time-restricted eating) improved blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, and inflammation in adults, with early evidence suggesting benefits for healthy aging (ScienceDaily, 2022).
  • Biomarkers of Aging: A 2023 randomized trial showed that 8-hour time-restricted eating led to favorable changes in key aging biomarkers after 12 months (NCBI, 2023).
  • Human Trials: Recent randomized studies show IF can improve markers of cardiovascular and metabolic health, though long-term data on lifespan is still emerging (NCBI, 2018).
  • Animal Research: Rodent studies consistently show lifespan extension with various IF protocols (ScienceDaily, 2020).
  • Safety: IF is not suitable for everyone (e.g., those with certain medical conditions or high physical demands). Medical supervision is advised for any major dietary change.

Club Integration

Club One Fifty supports your IF journey with:

  • Nutrition Resources: Meal plans and recipes to support your fasting window and maximize nutrient density.
  • Community Challenges: Join seasonal fasting challenges and share your experience with fellow members.

References & Sources

Disclaimer: Club One Fifty provides information for educational purposes only. This content is not medical advice. Always consult a healthcare professional before making significant lifestyle changes.

Healthy Eating in Midlife: A Key to Healthy Aging?

Summary

  • Healthy eating in midlife is strongly linked to healthy aging.
  • Diets rich in plant-based foods and low in ultra-processed foods increase the chance of aging without major chronic disease.
  • Several well-studied dietary patterns—like Mediterranean, DASH, and AHEI—offer clear longevity benefits.
  • The Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) diet showed the strongest link to healthy aging at 70 and 75.
  • High intake of ultra-processed foods lowers the odds of healthy aging.

Introduction

At Club One Fifty, we believe that what you eat in your 40s, 50s, and 60s directly shapes your quality of life in your 70s and beyond. A major new study published in March 2025 underscores this: healthy eating in midlife dramatically increases your odds of aging without major chronic disease, while maintaining both mental and physical function.

What Are the Different Healthy Diets?

The study compared several well-known dietary patterns, each with its own focus:

  • Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI): This diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, healthy fats (like olive oil), and moderate alcohol, while limiting red/processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, and sodium. It’s designed to reflect the latest evidence on foods that promote long-term health.
  • Mediterranean Diet (aMED): Inspired by traditional diets in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, this pattern prioritizes plant foods, fish, olive oil, legumes, and moderate wine, with limited red meat and dairy.
  • DASH Diet: Originally developed to lower blood pressure, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins (especially fish and poultry), and low-fat dairy, while minimizing salt, red meat, and added sugars.
  • Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI): This newer diet focuses on both personal and planetary health by emphasizing plant-based foods, limiting animal products, and reducing highly processed foods to support sustainability as well as longevity.

All of these patterns share a focus on whole, minimally processed foods and plant-forward eating, but differ in their approach to animal products, fats, and sustainability.

Key Findings

  • Adhering to healthy dietary patterns in midlife is linked to a higher likelihood of healthy aging, including cognitive, physical, and mental health.
  • The AHEI diet showed the strongest association: those following it most closely had an 86% greater chance of healthy aging at age 70, and more than double the odds at 75, compared to those with the lowest adherence.
  • Mediterranean, DASH, and Planetary Health diets also conferred significant benefits, though slightly less than AHEI.
  • Higher intake of ultra-processed foods—especially processed meats and sugary beverages—was linked to lower odds of healthy aging.
  • Healthy diets can be adapted to individual preferences; there’s no single “perfect” diet for everyone.

What Does This Mean for Longevity?

  • Eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and healthy fats is a practical, science-backed way to boost your odds of healthy aging.
  • Limiting ultra-processed foods—especially processed meats and sugary drinks—is equally important.
  • Any of the studied diets (AHEI, Mediterranean, DASH, or Planetary Health) can be adapted for personal preferences and still support longevity.

Practical Tips for Members

  • Build your meals around plants: veggies, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts.
  • Include healthy animal-based foods like fish and yogurt in moderation if you wish.
  • Minimize ultra-processed foods: check labels for added sugars, sodium, and artificial ingredients.
  • Experiment with Mediterranean, DASH, or AHEI-inspired meals to see what fits your lifestyle.

Conclusion

The evidence is clear: what you eat in midlife sets the stage for your health and independence as you age. Focus on whole, minimally processed foods, and use proven dietary patterns as inspiration—not rigid rules. Your future self will thank you.

Source: ScienceDaily – Healthy eating in midlife linked to overall healthy aging (March 24, 2025)

Scientists Reveal Coffee Activates an Ancient Longevity Switch

Summary

  • Caffeine activates AMPK, a master cellular fuel sensor linked to energy balance and stress resilience.
  • In fission yeast (a model for human cells), caffeine triggers DNA repair, stress defense, and lifespan extension.
  • AMPK modulation mirrors effects seen with metformin and rapamycin, drugs widely studied for anti-aging.
  • These findings deepen our understanding of how your morning coffee could boost health and longevity.

How Coffee Flips the AMPK Switch

A new study led by Queen Mary University of London reveals that caffeine activates AMPK, an evolutionarily conserved energy gauge in cells. When activated, AMPK orchestrates protective roles—shutting off energy-hungry processes, enhancing DNA repair, and fortifying stress response systems. These functions are all key to healthy aging.

Notably, caffeine’s action doesn’t follow the same route as TOR (Target of Rapamycin) inhibition. Instead, it’s a distinct pathway that converges on AMPK—mirroring interventions like metformin, already recognized for their longevity benefits.

Evidence from Fission Yeast Models

Using fission yeast as a model organism, researchers found that caffeine-treated cells showed stronger DNA repair, better resilience to stress, and lived longer sciencedaily.com. Since the AMPK pathway is highly conserved, it’s a powerful clue that similar mechanisms may be at play in human cells.

What This Means for You

  • Cellular housekeeping boost: AMPK promotion enhances repair mechanisms like autophagy and DNA stability.
  • Stress resilience: Improved stress responsiveness supports long-term cellular health.
  • Potential human benefits: Combined with TOR’s known role in aging, AMPK activation strengthens coffee’s status as a “longevity beverage.”

Closing Thoughts

This study adds weight to the notion that your morning cup does more than boost alertness—it activates a foundational mechanism of cellular resilience. While these findings are from yeast models, they align well with evolving research on metformin, rapamycin, and other AMPK activators in mammals.

Source

Queen Mary University of London (2025, June 25). Scientists reveal your morning coffee flips an ancient longevity switch. ScienceDaily.

Vitamin D Supplements Show Signs of Protection Against Biological Aging

Summary

  • Vitamin D3 supplementation (2,000 IU/day) significantly reduced telomere shortening over four years, equivalent to nearly three years of biological aging prevented.
  • The VITAL randomized controlled trial is the first large-scale, long-term study to demonstrate this protective effect on telomeres.
  • Telomeres, protective caps at chromosome ends, naturally shorten with age and are linked to increased risk of age-related diseases.
  • Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation showed no significant effect on telomere length in the same study.
  • Findings suggest targeted vitamin D supplementation may be a promising strategy to counteract biological aging processes.

Study Overview

A recent publication in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that vitamin D supplementation helps maintain telomere length, offering a potential strategy to slow biological aging. This conclusion comes from the VITAL randomized controlled trial, co-led by researchers at Mass General Brigham and the Medical College of Georgia.

The VITAL study tracked U.S. females aged 55 and older and males aged 50 and older over five years, assessing the effects of daily supplementation with vitamin D3 (2,000 IU) and omega-3 fatty acids (1 g). A sub-study involving 1,054 participants measured telomere length in white blood cells at baseline, Year 2, and Year 4.

Expert Insight

“VITAL is the first large-scale and long-term randomized trial to show that vitamin D supplements protect telomeres and preserve telomere length,” said Dr. JoAnn Manson, principal investigator of VITAL and chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “This is of particular interest because VITAL had also shown benefits of vitamin D in reducing inflammation and lowering risks of selected chronic diseases of aging, such as advanced cancer and autoimmune disease.”

Takeaway for Longevity Enthusiasts

This study underscores the potential of vitamin D3 supplementation as a simple, accessible intervention to slow biological aging by preserving telomere length. While further research is warranted, these findings add to the growing body of evidence supporting the role of vitamin D in promoting healthy aging.

Source
Mass General Brigham. “Vitamin D supplements show signs of protection against biological aging.” ScienceDaily, 21 May 2025.

Clinical Trial Suggests Pomegranate Molecule Has Anti-Aging Benefits

Supplementation with Urolithin A (“UA”), a pomegranate metabolite is suggested to safely offer anti-aging benefits due to its impact on mitochondrial and cellular health found in the first human double blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial conducted by Amazentis and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics.

“There are currently no effective solutions to treat age-related decline in muscle function other than months of exercise. This is an important first clinical validation that shows Urolithin A could be a promising solution for the management of healthy muscle function during ageing,” says Professor Roger Fielding, PhD of Tufts University. “The mitophagy activator Urolithin A is safe and induces a molecular signature of improved mitochondrial and cellular health in humans.”

“This positive clinical translation of Urolithin A shows its potential to play an important role in advanced nutritional approaches to improve mitochondrial health through mitophagy and biogenesis, and, as a result, cellular health in humans,” says co-author Professor Johan Auwerx, MD, PhD of Amazentis Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.

As published in the journal Nature Metabolism 60 healthy but sedentary elderly participants were divided into 4 groups received either a placebo, 250, 500, or 1,000 mg dose of Urolithin A daily over the course of 28 days. Efficacy of UA was determined by examining cellular and mitochondrial health biomarkers in blood and muscle tissue; findings suggest that Urolithin A may help to slow down the aging process by improving the functioning of the mitochondria.

Urolithin A may be the only known compound that can re-establish a cell’s ability to recycle defective mitochondria, this happens naturally in younger people but with age the body loses it ability to do this causing sarcopenia and weakening of other tissues.

Urolithin A is a microflora derived metabolite of ellagitannins, and it is the lead candidate of Amazentis as an oral formulation, the company hopes to build on the promising results to bring a product to market quickly. Nestle Health Science has announced a global partnership with the company to develop products containing UA to develop opportunities in healthcare and medical nutrition.

Check the full story.

Source: WorldHealth.net

Study Links Junk Food To Age Marker In Chromosomes

According to a study recently published in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, presented at an online medical conference, those who consume a lot of industrially processed junk foods are more likely to exhibit a change in their chromosome that is linked to ageing.

Scientists at the European and International Conference on Obesity reported that those who consumed three or more ultra-processed foods per day were found to have doubled their odds of their DNA and telomere proteins being shorter when compared to those from people who rarely consume such foods.

Shorter telomeres are a proven marker of biological ageing at the cellular level, this study suggests that diet is a factor in driving cells to age faster. It was noted that although the correlation is very strong, the causal relationship between consuming highly processed foods and shrinking telomeres is speculative, additional research is required.

Every human has 23 pairs of chromosomes that house our genetic code. While telomeres don’t carry any genetic information, these are the protective end caps that are vital for preserving the stability and integrity of our chromosomes, and the DNA that all the cells within the body rely on to function. With age, telomeres shorten naturally as each time a cell divides a part of the telomere is lost, and this reduction in length is recognized as a marker of biological age.

Scientists from the University of Navarra Spain wanted to investigate the suspected connection between shrinking telomeres and regular consumption of highly processed junk food. Previous studies pointed to a possible link, but the findings were inconclusive.

Ultra-processed junk foods are industrially manufactured substances that are composed of some mix of oils, fats, sugars, starch, and proteins that contain very little if any whole or natural foods. The items will typically include artificial flavourings, emulsifiers, preservatives, colourings, and other additives to increase shelf life and profit margins. But these same compounds also mean that these types of foods are very nutritionally poor compared to less-processed options.

Previous studies have shown strong correlations between ultra-processed foods and obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, depression, and some types of cancer. Such conditions are often age-related as they are linked to oxidative stress and inflammation which are both known to influence the length of telomeres.

In this study health data for nearly 900 people who were 55 years of age or older were involved in this study who provided DNA samples in 2008 and provided detailed data about the eating habits at that time as well as every two years after. Participants were equally divided into 4 groups depending on their consumption of ultra-processed foods from low to high.

Those in the high intake of ultra-processed foods group were found to be more likely to have a family history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, abnormal blood fats, and snacked more in between meals. This group also consumed more fats, saturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, sodium, cholesterols, SSBs, fast food, and processed meats while intaking fewer carbs, protein, fibre, olive oil, fruits, vegetables, and other micronutrients. Those who consumed more ultra-processed foods were observed to be less likely to adhere to a Mediterranean style diet.

As the consumption of ultra-processed foods increased the likelihood of having shortened telomeres increased dramatically with each quartile above the lowest having a risk increase of 29% for the medium-low group, 40% for the medium to high group, and 82% for the high consumption of ultra-processed food group for having shortened telomeres. Consumption of ultra-processed foods was also associated with the risk of depression, hypertension, being overweight, obesity, and all-cause mortality, especially in those with low levels of physical activity.

“In this cross-sectional study of elderly Spanish subjects, we showed a robust strong association between ultra-processed food consumption and telomere length. Further research in larger longitudinal studies with baseline and repeated measures of TL is needed to confirm these observations,” concluded the authors.

Read the full story.

Source: WorldHealth.net.

Why You Should Consider Chia Seeds

Chia seeds may be small, but they are loaded with a wealth of important nutrients that can help to support a healthy and nutritious diet.

These versatile and nutritious tiny seeds are commonly ground, stirred, or sprinkled into smoothies, yogurt, pudding, salads, and oatmeal making them great for those on the go. The gel produced from the ground seeds can even be used as an egg substitute in pancakes and bake goodies.

One of the big pluses to chia seed is that although they are rich in nutrients they are very low in calories. Just two tablespoons contain 18% of the daily recommended value of calcium, 137 calories, 30% of the RDV for manganese and magnesium, as well as 27% of the RDV for phosphorus. They are also rich sources of zinc, potassium, and vitamin B, for all of these reasons, it makes them an extremely efficient source of nutrients.

To go along with the nutrient profile, chia seeds are a good source of fibre-containing 11 grams in that same 2 tablespoons. As most people don’t reach the DRV of 30 grams, adding chia seeds to your diet is a good option to help reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer, and regulate blood sugar levels.

Those looking to up intake of anti-ageing antioxidants that can help to prevent or delay certain types of cell damage may want to consider chia seeds as well as they are a rich source of antioxidants due to the presence of chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol which are believed to help protect the heart and liver as well as having anti-ageing and anti-carcinogenic characteristics.

Those looking to add more plant-based protein to their diet may find chia seeds to be a good option as they are approximately 14% protein, and they are a complete protein containing all of the essential amino acids that are required for human nutrition including isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, histidine, and valine which help build proteins, grow muscle, and transport nutrients.

Another plus is that gram for gram chia seeds contain more omega-3 fatty acids than salmon does which has various anti-inflammatory properties and may also help to support better brain and heart health as well as improve stress response.

The rich calcium, magnesium and protein content will also help to support healthy bones which again is good news for those looking to increase intake of more plant-based options as 25 grams of chia seeds contains 157 grams of calcium which is more than the content of 100 ml of dairy milk.

Studies suggest that regular consumption of chia seeds could significantly reduce blood pressure for those with hypertension, and the rich omega-3 content can work as a blood thinner reducing overall blood pressure. The reductions can support overall heart health and may help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. It is worth noting that those taking medications should consult with their physician as very large quantities of chia seeds could potentially interact with certain blood pressure or blood sugar medications.

The body digests chia seeds slowly which will provide slow-release energy and help to keep blood sugar levels stable throughout the day, while the fibre content can slow the absorption of sugar into the blood and decrease overall blood sugar levels.

Additionally, the high concentration of soluble fibre makes chia seeds expand in the stomach which can help to keep you feeling fuller for longer and reduce snacking which can help to support healthy weight loss as part of a healthy diet when combined with exercise.

Read the full story.

Source: WorldHealth.net.

Medicinal Herbs Found to Have Antioxidant & Anti-Tumor Effects

A study published in The American Journal of Chinese Medicine has revealed that medicinal plants including ginkgo biloba, jujube, ginseng, and astragalus have antioxidant and anti-tumor properties.

The mentioned medicinal plants have a history of use in traditional medicine, are commonly available, and are said to not have any adverse effects when consumed. Clinical studies have shown polysaccharides from plants to have antioxidant, anti-inflammation, cell viability promotion, immune regulation, and anti-tumor effects in disease models.

Researchers from Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital and Jinan University investigated the antioxidant and antitumor properties of the polysaccharides from these medicinal plants, and identified the signaling pathways involved in the initiation and progress of diseases that are associated with cancer and oxidative stress.

These plant polysaccharides were found to have potential to fight oxidative stress and cancer related disorders in both animal and cell models as well as in clinical cases. The polysaccharides treat oxidative stress and cancer through ROS centered pathways and transcription factor related pathways with or without further involvement of inflammatory and death receptor pathways; some may also affect tumorigenic pathways to have their antitumor roles.

A review suggesting using polysaccharides as anti-cancer agents published in Carbohydrate Polymers focusing on research within the last 5 years, proposed mechanisms of action, and anti-cancer activity compared to conventional anti-cancer drugs found them to have exhibited good anti-cancer activity across a variety of cancer cell lines that could be used as alternatives to existing chemotherapeutic cancer agents which had selective activity against tumor cells with minimal toxic side effects.

The polysaccharides in the review were isolated from plants, microorganisms, fungi, and marine sources that have been shown to act on cancer cells by inducing programmed cell death, and kills cancer cells via preventing their spread by acting on DNA damage, cell cycle arrest, disruption of mitochondrial membrane, and production of nitric oxide.

Check the full story.

Source: WorldHealt.net

When It Comes To Chocolate Darker Is Healthier

Those with a sweet tooth will be happy to know that in moderation, dark chocolate is good for cardiovascular health, according to a study collaborative study between Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra and the University of Gothenburg that was published in the journal Nutrition.

A few squares of dark chocolate, especially those containing 90% cocoa content can help to greatly improve blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to this study.

30 healthy participants between the ages of 18-27 were divided into 2 groups: one group eating 20g of chocolate containing 55% cocoa content, and the other eating 20g of chocolate with 90% cocoa content. Participant blood pressure was taken at baseline, then again after 30 days.

Eating chocolate was found to improve blood pressure, but those in the 90% group had more dramatic results; those in the 90% group after one month showed an average reduction of 3.5 mmHg in systolic and 2.3 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure, while those in the 55% group had an average reduction of 2.4 mmHg in systolic and 1.7 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure.

Based on their findings the team concluded that eating small amounts of dark chocolate can be of benefit to the cardiovascular system regardless of age, but they noted while the findings provide a positive correlation between dark chocolate and cardiovascular biomarkers how they affect other factors of a healthy lifestyle requires further research.

“The extent to which cocoa may interact with other healthy lifestyle strategies remains to be explored, and further research is needed to clarify the underlying mechanisms and to define optimal amounts of regular cocoa-rich dark chocolate intake,” says lead author Dr. Telmo Pereira.

A study published in Heart investigating the health benefits of chocolate involving 21,000 participants taking note of eating habits also observed cumulative evidence between chocolate intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Flavanols found within dark chocolate may be responsible for a lot of these health benefits as multiple studies have shown direct links between eating flavonoid rich foods and human health. Many foods contain flavonoids which have been explored for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor properties.

Choose your chocolate with scrutiny as not as types of chocolate have flavanols, which are also what gives chocolate the slightly bitter taste. Many commercially available chocolates have been stripped of the beneficial flavanols in favor of more mellow taste.

Check the full story.

Source: WorldHealth.net

Machine Learning Identifies Potential Anti-Cancer Molecules in Food

The internet is rife with myths and articles making dubious claims about certain foods and their anti-cancer properties. We have all seen the articles of questionable scientific merit gracing social media suggesting that such-and-such foods can cure cancer, the majority of which are highly questionable. A new study offers a unique kind of insight into the potential true effectiveness of food in fighting cancer.

Investigating molecules in food with machine learning

There is no doubt that there are many foods that contain a myriad of active molecules, and perhaps some of these food myths may have a grain of truth to them. A team of researchers decided to do some real myth-busting and put a variety of bioactive molecules found in foods to the test to see if they might potentially help to combat cancer.

The research team chose to use the power of machine learning to help assess a total of 7,962 biologically active compounds encountered in dietary sources. These molecules were compiled into a database and fed into a machine learning algorithm, which determined that of these compounds, there were 110 molecules that appeared to have anti-cancer properties.

Read the full story.

Source: Life Extension Advocacy Foundation