DR MICHAEL MOSLEY: Proof the 5:2 can help fight diabetes, cancer… and even dementia

This Sunday, in You magazine, I am unveiling the latest version of my 5:2 diet – the simplest I’ve ever devised, with delicious new recipes.

The core principle is the same: cut down to 800 calories a day for two days a week on so-called Fast Days and eat a balanced, Mediterranean-style diet for the other five. But now there’s a clever twist.

The calorie-controlled dishes we have created use no more than five main ingredients, meaning Fast Days are easier than ever to shop and prepare for.

Calorie-count: You don’t have to go hungry on the 5:2 as it’s much less restrictive than other diets

In today’s pullout you’ll find 20 new recipes for filling breakfasts, quick lunches, family favourites and even a few sweet treats (do only have these on non-Fast Days), and more will be featured in this column from next week.

But before you get started, it’s worth reminding you why the 5:2 really is the quickest way to a healthier life, because there is some exciting new science that backs up the plan.

A WEAPON AGAINST DIABETES

Back in 2012, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and was told that I’d need to start taking medication.

Keen to avoid this, I started to look into what else I could do, and came across something called intermittent fasting – significantly restricting calories for short bursts. The one I found most do-able involved two days of cutting calories, or fasting, a week. I called this the 5:2.

After just 12 weeks on the diet, I lost nearly 20 lb and reversed my diabetes. It worked for me and has for thousands of others.

But I was pleased to see the approach has been backed by an Australian study, published in July, which looked at the effect of the 5:2 versus a standard calorie-controlled diet on 137 overweight people with type 2 diabetes.

Ask Dr Mosley: Your questions answered

Your recipe for sauerkraut uses up to five teaspoons of salt per one litre jar. Surely this is excessive, especially if you have high blood pressure. Could you use low-salt instead?

The reason you add salt to the water when making sauerkraut is because you want to make sure that as the vegetables ferment, they do so in the presence of ‘good’ bacteria.

The salty water, or brine, stops some of the nasties, like yeast, from growing.

You can, if you prefer and it’s safe for you to do so, use a low-sodium salt substitute. Another option is to try cutting down the salt you add at the start to about three teaspoons a litre.

If you do then keep an eye out for moulds. Never eat fermented foods that smell rancid, mouldy or rotten, nor should you eat them if they have turned black, brown or blue.

Sauerkraut is normally eaten in quite small amounts, so really the salt shouldn’t be much of a concern and, in any case, you can wash it before serving to get rid of the salt, which is mainly found on the surface.

A few years ago I tried the 5:2 and lost 7 lb in weeks. But last year I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, had surgery, and now I’m getting hormone shots. A side effect is that I am constantly hungry and have gained nearly a stone in the past 12 months. I started the 5:2 again, but I am not getting the results I had before.

When people tell me the 5:2 isn’t working well, I usually suggest going low-carb – in other words cutting out all pasta, bread and potatoes as well as sugary treats – when not fasting, to see if that helps. There is evidence that doing so can help suppress appetite. But those with medical concerns should speak to a doctor before making any changes.

I am a 78-year-old man with type 2 diabetes and would like to know if it is OK to eat bananas with porridge regularly. I was told it might not be a good idea because of their sugar content.

Bananas are sweet but they also contain fibre, which slows the absorption of sugar in the digestive system and reduces the risk of the blood sugar spikes that diabetics need to avoid. As bananas ripen, their fibre converts into sugar, making them more likely to cause a spike. Bananas are considered a medium-GI food – meaning they have a medium effect on blood sugar levels.

Opt for a banana that is as green as you can stand or berries, apples or pears, as their fibre and sugar balance is less likely to cause a spike. Walnuts are also delicious with porridge.

The University of South Australia trial ran for just over a year, which is long for a weight-loss study. Both groups were given sample menus, met with a dietician regularly for the first few months and ate real food – a very practical test of this approach. After a year, the 5:2 group had lost, and kept off, 15 lb on average while the standard diet group had lost 11 lb. Determined people shed most weight.

The 5:2 group also lost 40 per cent more body fat than the standard dieters, and most interestingly, their blood sugar control improved, so many were able to reduce medication.

IT COULD DELAY DEMENTIA

Neuroscientist Dr Mark Mattson, from the National Institute on Ageing in Baltimore, has spent decades studying intermittent fasting in animals. His experiments have included this diet’s effects on the brain.

In his lab, Dr Mattson showed me mice made more vulnerable to dementia through genetic engineering. When put in mazes and tasked to solve simple problems, these mice were already showing obvious learning and memory problems by one year old – the equivalent of human middle age.

But he discovered that those on an intermittent fasting diet could go nearly two years without any detectable signs of dementia. They only really started deteriorating towards the end of their lives.

In humans, that is the equivalent of developing signs of dementia at 90 rather than 50. I know which I would prefer.

Dr Mattson is carrying out a similar study on people who are showing signs of early mental decline, and I’ll be sharing the results soon.

…AND CUT CANCER RISK

In April 2013, dietician Dr Michelle Harvie, of the Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention Centre at the Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester, and Professor Tony Howell published study results on what they called ‘intermittent energy restriction’. A total of 115 overweight women with a family history of breast cancer were divided into three groups.

One group stuck to a low-calorie diet rich in healthy fruits, vegetables, fish and nuts, with moderate amounts of meat, dairy and olive oil.

Another group ate a healthy diet five days a week, then a 650-calorie, low-carb version on the other two days.

The final patients were not calorie-restricted except for avoiding carbs for two days a week.

After three months, the women on the two-day diets lost more than 11 lb on average, with some losing as much as 41 lb. Those on the standard diet lost 8 lb on average.

The women restricting calories for two days a week lost almost twice as much body fat, and saw much bigger drops in insulin levels (down 40 per cent), than the slow and steady dieters.

Insulin is important because high levels increase cancer risk, particularly breast cancer, and the likelihood of becoming type 2 diabetic.

So you see, there really is even more reason to give this diet a go. Do write to me to let me know your thoughts on the recipes and how you get on!

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