#23 - Dr. Jason Fung, MD

What's the risk if you don't eat for 16 hours of the day? What's the cost? Like zero. And what's the risk? If you're overweight, there's practically no risk ... So, any reward you get is a plus.

We recommend low-carbohydrate diets for all of the type 2 diabetics ... Type 2 diabetes is largely a disease of hyperinsulinemia, so therefore, both low-carbohydrate diets and intermittent fasting, the goal is to lower insulin. As you lower insulin in a disease of too much insulin, you're going to get better.

You gotta understand that fasting is sort of a part of the normal life—that's where the word 'breakfast' comes in. You're supposed to feed, then you're supposed to fast. What's wrong with that? You have a word that tells you that it's actually part of your daily schedule. And now, fasting for 12 hours is insane.

If you look at the science of longevity, the one thing that really stands out huge is calorie restriction. That is probably the single most well-studied mechanism for longevity ... Intermittent fasting is sort of a play on that in that it is a way to restrict overall calories...

And how would we have survived if our body was so incredibly stupid that every time you don't eat, it starts breaking down your muscle?

You're talking about the biggest killers in America—heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer are at least four of the top five. And all of them are impacted by hyperinsulinemia.

The one thing we know, of course, is that the metabolic syndrome is going to shorten your life.

The World Health Organization lists 13 cancers as obesity-related, including breast cancer and colorectal cancer, the number two and number three cancers after lung.