"Fasting has long been acclaimed as an effective way to lose weight improve the immune system and boost brain function. But doctors have been loath to recommend it because of the dangers associated with such extreme dieting. Now scientists say theyve developed a fiveday onceamonth diet that mimics fasting  and is safe. In the study which was published in the journal Cell Metabolism http and funded by the National Institute on Aging participants who intermittently fasted for three months had reduced risk factors for an amazing range of issues aging cancer diabetes cardiovascular disease. While the number of study participants was small  only  who tried the diet  the results are so promising that the University of Southern California researcher who helped develop the regimen is already talking about trying to get approval from the Food and Drug Administration so that it can be recommended for patients. Special report  Tech titans latest project Defy death http Coauthor Valter D. Longo who studies longevity described the idea behind fasting as a way to reboot a persons body by clearing out damaged cells and regenerating new ones. Its about reprogramming the body so it enters a slower aging mode but also rejuvenating it ... he said. Its not a typical diet because it isnt something you need to stay on. The diet described in the study  which the researchers dubbed the Fasting Mimicking Diet  isnt quite as extreme as actual fasting. It works like this For  days out of the month dieters can eat as they normally would  the good bad and inbetween. Then for day one of the diet they would eat  calories  percent protein  percent fat and  percent carbohydrates. For days two through five  calories  percent protein  percent fat  percent carbohydrates. In the study participants consumed a lot of vegetable soup kale crackers and chamomile tea. The calories consumed are  to  percent of what a typical person might eat in a day. The participants in the study did this for three cycles or three months before the researchers measured them and found decreased risk factors and biomarkers for disease with no major adverse side effects. Petronella Ravenshear a nutritional therapist in London told the Telegraph http that the new diet is less of a stressor on the body than complete fasting. It supplies most of the carbohydrates in the form of vegetables which are packed with phytonutrients and minerals and positively good for us rather than grainderived carbohydrates which dont supply much except sugar she said. Special report  HUMAN UPGRADE Part I Tech titans latest project Defy death http For centuries explores have searched the Earth for the fountain of youth. Todays billionaires think they can create it using technology and data. Part II The revolution will be digitized  http by the flood of wearable devices a movement to quantify consumers lifestyles is evolving into big business with immense health and privacy ramifications."