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What is Prolon?

Prolon is a 5-day fasting-mimicking diet, a diet in which your body does not recognise that it is eating, and therefore goes into fasting mode. We are thus gaining the health advantages of fasting while we are still eating.

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Why is fasting good for us?

Obviously, we must eat to survive. However, science has shown that short periods of fasting can have major benefits for the body:

Benefits to the body

  • Increased cell resistance to stress

  • Lipolysis (fat metabolism)

  • Autophagy (literally, self-eating; this refers to the body’s system for clearing out damaged cell components and debris)

  • Neurogenesis (growth of nerve tissue)

  • Stem-cell stimulation (stem cells renew the body’s tissues)

Additional Positive Change

  • Reduced inflammation

  • Removal of damaged cells and tissues

  • Cellular regeneration

  • Weight loss, particularly of the visceral fat (fat around the organs)

  • Better blood pressure control and reduced blood fats, including cholesterol

  • Reduced risk of chronic diseases

  • Increased healthy longevity (that is, live longer with less disease)

What happens when we fast?

After 12 hours, the effects of fasting are just starting to get going and after 24 hours, the intensity builds up considerably.

After 2 days, cells are entering survival mode, which is when they start to eliminate cellular waste and debris (autophagy). Cell function is optimised for survival in a low-nutrient environment; this is associated with increased resistance to stress. The body uses up its store of glycogen (carbohydrate).

The absence of glycogen (carbohydrate) and readily available fat causes stress levels to increase on the 5th day. This late stage of survival mode induces the body to eliminate old, damaged or inefficient cells and to increase the number of circulating stem cells (cells that create new, rejuvenated tissue). This process optimises biological ageing and can have a beneficial effect on certain chronic diseases.

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Backed Up By Studies

Studies at the University of California have shown that a fast duration of 5 days is ideal, as it ends before the body starts to draw on alternative sources of nutrients, such as muscle. We thus obtain the beneficial effects (fat loss, autophagy, cell stress resistance, increased stem cells, optimisation of biological ageing) before we lose lean mass (muscle).

The ProLon Diet

The ProLon fasting-mimicking diet, developed by Dr Valter Longo, Director of the Longevity Institute of the University of California, allows you to experience the significant health, wellness and metabolic benefits of a full 5-day fast without starving yourself.

The ProLon diet comes in a box that contains 5 smaller boxes, each of which holds all the foods you need for one day. Meals include proprietary plant-based soups, bars and snacks, and there are also specific drinks and supplements (see the 5-day menu). The foods are designed to maximise the protective effects of fasting while minimising hunger and providing essential micronutrients.

Meals are simple to prepare, and the snacks are of course ready to eat, making the whole process easy to follow and avoiding interference with your daily routine.

The ProLon Box

ProLon® is delivered in a single box. Inside are 5 small boxes (one for each day); each small box contains the meals for one day. These include plant-based energy bars, soups, a variety of snacks, drinks and supplements. All the foods have been studied and carefully designed to nourish your body and promote positive changes.

All Whole Food
Ingredients

ProLon® ingredients are plant-based and do not contain any additives, preservatives or chemicals. ProLon® does contain honey and gelatine*. The daily calorific intake with ProLon® is between 750 and 1100 calories, derived from healthy ingredients that maximise nourishment and provide a pleasant eating experience.

*Gelatine is only present in the algal oil capsules. If you prefer to avoid gelatine, alternative sources of algal oil can be provided.

Plant Based
Taste

ProLon® market research and consumer panels demonstrated:
• Very good taste
• Convenient and easy day-by-day packaging
• Minimal disruption to daily lifestyle

FAQs

How often should we use the ProLon diet?

The frequency you need to use the ProLon diet to obtain maximum benefit varies depending on your medical history. In a medical review, we can look into the factors that will have affected cell health over your lifetime and perform blood tests, if indicated, to extend this assessment. For most of us, a good initial plan (supported by clinical trial results) would be to do 3 consecutive monthly cycles and then follow this with a single cycle every 4 or 6 months. For persons who are looking for a more significant impact on their metabolic health, the frequency can be increased.

Do I eat a normal diet between the cycles?

At the end of each cycle, there is a recommended 1-day transition diet based on healthy foods, just in smaller amounts. After that you can return to your normal diet until you choose to initiate a new cycle. However, the opportunity should be taken to re-evaluate your lifestyle and diet and try to improve on your daily diet and physical activity. This way, your body will progressively improve at a cellular level.

Dr Longo’s aim with this diet is to keep us disease-free for longer as we age. This underlies his approach to longevity. He has written a book* on this and includes in that book numerous recipes designed to favour health. His recommendations include reducing our protein intake, especially from animal sources, as this is associated with metabolic markers indicative of cell stress and ageing. We should also avoid refined carbohydrates, as these can overstimulate hormones associated with appetite, fat accumulation and energy metabolism.

*Please note that Dr Longo has generously dedicated all proceeds from this book to further research into longevity and the fasting-mimicking diet.

Will ProLon help me lose weight?

You will lose some weight during this diet. However, the diet must come to an end after 5 days, so if you are using this programme as part of a weight loss journey, you will need to continue with a longer-term method after completing the 5-day fast. Bear in mind that it is important to eat a normal diet for a few days after the fasting-mimicking diet in order to obtain greatest benefit.

Other options are available for the specific purpose of losing weight. Ask Dr Bazire for advice.

Can I do more than 1 cycle a month?

No. ProLon is designed to be performed a maximum of once a month.

Will ProLon improve my blood pressure?

ProLon should improve your blood pressure because of the effects it has on inflammation and weight loss. However, if you are overweight and have high blood pressure, you should consider a specific weight-management treatment to get greatest effect on blood pressure control.

Is ProLon suitable for vegetarians?

The only limitations for vegetarians and vegans are the presence of honey in one of the bars and gelatine in the algal-oil capsule (an alternative source of algal oil can be provided).

Can anyone do the ProLon diet?

No, some people should not do this diet, such as children under 18 years of age, pregnant or breastfeeding mothers, people at the extremes of the weight spectrum, and those with nut allergies or with certain diseases or conditions that may not respond well to fasting. Consult Dr Bazire for more information.

Do I have to have a blood test before I do the diet?

This will depend on Dr Bazire’s assessment. He will tell you if any blood or other tests should be done to ensure your safety before you do the diet.

Does it have any side effects?

As long as you have a correct assessment before starting the diet, the risk of any side effects is very low. The diet does contain certain allergens (nuts, soy, tomato) and you must tell Dr Bazire if you have any food allergies or intolerances. Dr Bazire has the full list of ingredients, including possible allergens, for your consultation.

Although the diet is designed to reduce hunger, this is not completely suppressed.

Extremes of temperature should be avoided as these can alter fluid distribution in the body and the electrolyte concentrations in the blood.

Do I have to exercise during the diet?

An exercise routine adapted to your circumstances is always beneficial. However, during the diet, strenuous exercise should not be performed because of the low carbohydrate intake

Don’t other types of fasting provide these health benefits?

Some people compare this diet with intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating, in which the fasting status rarely reaches 24 hours. The basis of such comparisons is flawed; we are looking at different concepts. Each type of fasting has its benefits, but they differ in character and intensity.

Scientific Research Summaries

Read summaries of the scientific research on which Prolon is based on.

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