Stop snacking in-between: Study says long gaps between meals can boost longevity

Longer daily fasting times or increasing the duration between meals can make men more healthy and help them live longer, compared to those who eat more frequently, a study says.

In the study, meal-fed and calorie-restricted male mice showed improvements in overall health and an extended longevity.

The calorie-restricted mice also showed significant improvement in fasting glucose and insulin levels.

Lead author Rafael de Cabo, from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) said, “Increasing daily fasting times, without a reduction of calories and regardless of the type of diet consumed, resulted in overall improvements in health and survival in male mice.”

de Cabo added, “Perhaps this extended daily fasting period enables repair and maintenance mechanisms that would be absent in a continuous exposure to food.”