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Fork (Image courtesy of iStock); featured image for USC study shows how cycles of a fasting-mimicking diet reduce insulin resistance, liver fat, immune system aging, and biological age in clinical trial patients

USC study shows how cycles of a fasting-mimicking diet reduce insulin resistance, liver fat, immune system aging, and biological age in clinical trial patients

Cycles of a diet that mimics fasting reduce signs of immune system aging as well as insulin resistance and liver fat in humans, resulting in a lower biological age, according to a …

(Image courtesy of the USC Davis School of Gerontology); featured image for Eat well, age well

Eat well, age well

Diet interacts with genetics and impacts the way we age. Here’s what USC researchers are finding out about nutrition and healthy aging. The old adage “You are what you eat” may be …

fasting and breast cancer; featured image for Fasting-mimicking diet reduces signs of dementia in mice

Fasting-mimicking diet reduces signs of dementia in mice

Cycles of a diet that mimics fasting appear to reduce signs of Alzheimer’s in mice genetically engineered to develop the illness, according to a new USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology-led study. …

Valter Longo (Photo by Dietmar Quistorf); featured image for New article outlines the characteristics of a “longevity diet”

New article outlines the characteristics of a “longevity diet”

Examining a range of nutrition research from studies in laboratory animals to epidemiological research in human populations provides a clearer picture of the best diet for a longer, healthier life, said USC …

Illustration by Jonathan Haase; featured image for Cycles of a fasting-mimicking diet help mice live longer, healthier

Cycles of a fasting-mimicking diet help mice live longer, healthier

While many diets have been studied for effectiveness in preventing obesity and heart disease in both mice and humans, research on the effects and benefits of short, periodic cycles of fasting on obesity and heart health are lacking. In a new USC study on the health effects of a low-calorie diet that mimics …

fasting and breast cancer; featured image for Studies suggest a fasting diet could boost breast cancer therapy

Studies suggest a fasting diet could boost breast cancer therapy

A USC-led team of scientists has found that a fasting-mimicking diet combined with hormone therapy has the potential to help treat breast cancer, according to newly published animal studies and small clinical …

Oranges; featured image for Fasting plus vitamin C proves effective for hard-to-treat cancers

Fasting plus vitamin C proves effective for hard-to-treat cancers

Scientists from USC and the IFOM Cancer Institute in Milan have found that a fasting-mimicking diet could be more effective at treating some types of cancer when combined with vitamin C. In multiple …

Time to eat; featured image for What and when we eat affects our immune system. Here’s how.

What and when we eat affects our immune system. Here’s how.

Professor Valter Longo, director of the USC Longevity Institute, is investigating how fasting and diets that mimic fasting’s effects can help immune function, including vaccine efficacy and the body’s response to infection …

(Illustration by Chris Gash); featured image for Eat less, live longer? The science of fasting and longevity

Eat less, live longer? The science of fasting and longevity

When it comes to what, when and how we eat, fasting — voluntarily abstaining from food for varying periods of time — is having a moment. It was the most popular diet …

Illustration of the colon; featured image for Fasting-mimicking diet holds promise for treating people with inflammatory bowel disease, USC study finds

Fasting-mimicking diet holds promise for treating people with inflammatory bowel disease, USC study finds

What if a special diet could reduce inflammation and repair your gut? USC researchers provided evidence that a low-calorie “fasting-mimicking” diet has the potential to do just that. Published in the March …

The Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Symposium sparked collaborations. (Photo by Sergio Bianco); featured image for USC researchers converge at the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Symposium

USC researchers converge at the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Symposium

“The field of stem cell biology is one of our great convergence opportunities,” said USC Provost Michael Quick, addressing an audience of biologists, chemists, physicists, engineers, clinicians and many others. This diverse …

Valter Longo (USC Photo; Illustration by Time); featured image for TIME names Valter Longo one of the 50 Most Influential People in Health Care of 2018

TIME names Valter Longo one of the 50 Most Influential People in Health Care of 2018

USC Leonard Davis School Professor Valter Longo, director of the USC Longevity Institute and USC Stem Cell principal investigator, has been named one of TIME’s the 50 Most Influential People in Health …

Genetic and lifestyle factors could play a role in developing Alzheimer’s disease, researchers say. (Photo courtesy of Stocksy); featured image for Five ways to lower your chances of getting Alzheimer’s

Five ways to lower your chances of getting Alzheimer’s

Retain a sharp, healthy brain and reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease by following five simple rules. Some of the tips are scientifically proven, while others show promise but require further investigation.

Valter Longo (Photo by John Skalicky); featured image for What to know about fasting, aging, the “longevity diet” and when you should eat

What to know about fasting, aging, the “longevity diet” and when you should eat

Biochemist Valter Longo has devoted decades to discovering connections between nutrition and successful aging. He runs the Longevity Institute at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, which aims to extend healthy …

Valter Longo (Photo by John Skalicky); featured image for Drugs widely used in cancer therapy increase toxicity of chemotherapy in mice

Drugs widely used in cancer therapy increase toxicity of chemotherapy in mice

A short-term fast appears to counteract increases in blood sugar caused by common cancer drugs and protect healthy cells in mice from becoming too vulnerable to chemotherapy, according to new research by …

Valter Longo (Photo by John Skalicky); featured image for Fasting-mimicking diet may reverse diabetes in mice

Fasting-mimicking diet may reverse diabetes in mice

By Beth Newcomb A diet designed to imitate the effects of fasting appears to reverse diabetes, a new USC-led study shows. The fasting-like diet promotes the growth of new insulin-producing pancreatic cells …

Valter Longo (Photo by Dietmar Quistorf); featured image for Scientifically-designed fasting diet lowers risks for major diseases

Scientifically-designed fasting diet lowers risks for major diseases

What if you could lose weight and reduce your risk of life-threatening disease without any changes in what you eat—other than a five-day special diet once every few months? That’s what happened …

Valter Longo (Photo by Dietmar Quistorf); featured image for Diet that mimics fasting may also reduce multiple sclerosis symptoms

Diet that mimics fasting may also reduce multiple sclerosis symptoms

Evidence is mounting that a diet mimicking the effects of fasting has health benefits beyond weight loss, with a new USC-led study indicating that it may reduce symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Scientists …

Fresh veggies, anyone? (Photo by Bob Nichols); featured image for Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

Want to lose abdominal fat, get smarter and live longer? New research led by USC Stem Cell principal investigator Valter Longo shows that periodically adopting a diet that mimics the effects of …

Fred H. Gage delivered a brainy keynote address. (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for USC Stem Cell Symposium creates scientific synergy

USC Stem Cell Symposium creates scientific synergy

Provost Michael Quick convened the inaugural USC Stem Cell Symposium with a straightforward truth about the future of regenerative medicine: “it will take a dedicated community of scholars across the disciplines to …