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Habits and Hustle

Episode 549: Dr. Valter Longo: What 30 Years of Longevity & Fasting Study Reveals About The GLP-1 Trend

April 28, 2026·1h 44m

GLP-1s are the fastest growing drug trend in health right now. But a 30-year fasting study says there's something every user needs to know before their next dose. Dr. Valter Longo has spent 30 years studying aging and longevity at USC, running over 40 clinical trials on what actually makes people live longer and healthier. What he found challenges almost everything the wellness industry is pushing right now, from 16-hour fasting windows to high-protein diets to GLP-1 drugs. In this episode of Habits and Hustle, Dr. Longo breaks down the science behind the Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD), why 12 hours of fasting beats 16, and what centenarians around the world actually eat. He also shares his latest research on cancer, Alzheimer's, and why your body already has the tools to heal itself if you stop getting in its way. It's time to ask the right questions about the hottest longevity trends that are costing people more than helping them. What's Discussed: (2:01) Who is Dr. Longo and the training behind his research. (3:18) The hypothesis behind why we should be fasting differently. (5:39) What a Fasting Mimicking Diet actually contains and why. (7:27) The difference between the longevity diet and the FMD. (8:30) Why 12 hours of fasting beats 16 every time. (11:18) The hidden risks of skipping breakfast nobody talks about. (15:47) How the FMD resets your body's locked-in weight. (21:12) How the "recipe" behind the FMD was built over 20 years. (29:51) Why the cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes versions of FMD are all different. (35:11) The trial showing nearly double survival rates in cancer patients. (38:04) Dr. Longo's real take on protein and why less may mean longer life. (51:24) How often you should actually do the FMD. (53:08) What the research says about fasting and women. (56:40) Dr. Longo's honest breakdown of GLP-1 risks and side effects. (1:16:19) Findings beyond fasting that slow aging. (1:23:21) The four things the FMD triggers that nothing else does. (1:36:31) Why nutrition beats exercise for longevity and why that's not the full story.