The Longevity Solution: Rediscovering Centuries-Old Secrets to a Healthy, Long Life by James DiNicolantonio

The Longevity Solution: Rediscovering Centuries-Old Secrets to a Healthy, Long Life Reviews

• 
  John

  This is a book worth reading. But there are significant caveats. It loses one star for the cumbersome way in which the information is presented and unnecessarily repeated. It loses another star for the links to commercial entities embedded within the Kindle version. Breaching intellectual independence with these commercial links is unforgivable. It probably should have lost one more star for disorganization within some of the chapters. I do have to admit that it is factually informative and well-referenced. Do you illustrations are simple and clear. A little background in nutrition and biochemistry helps with the reading.
• 
  Dan Drake

  A potentially good book fatally marred by advertisements sprinkled throughout, and no financial disclosure statements.
  
  There's a lot to like about this book, but I found the advertisements really distasteful. The authors directly call out specific companies and their products when discussing general types of products like nuts, wine, and so on. Are the authors getting paid by these companies? If so, are they telling us to, say, drink red wine because that's their scientific, medical judgement -- or because they're being paid to hawk company X's wine? (Especially for the particular case of wine and alcohol, in light of the
  study from August 2018 that concluded "
  the safest level of consumption [of alcohol] is zero".) I came to this book to learn about the science of aging, longevity, and diet, and found what seems more like an infomercial; and while there's a lot of good info, the "mercial" renders the rest untrustworthy.
  
  Moreoever, as other reviewers have noted, some parts of the book come across as little more than lightly edited blog posts or listicles with citations.
  
  So, caveat lector -- there's a lot to like about this book, especially their discussion of protein and mTOR -- but it's also seriously, perhaps fatally, flawed.
• 
  Gina

  Easy to read, well referenced book on a healthy diet for someone not familiar with recent nutrition science. I am not a novice in this genre, so I didn’t learn anything from the book but I didn’t need convincing that salt is ok to eat or or that the saturated fat is not the devil. I can see though how this book can benefit someone who still believes in American Heart Association’s dietary guidelines.
  
  What is NOT useful for any target audience ? Blatant endorsements of specific commercial products throughout the book. There’s an entire page dedicated to a particular brand of protein bar, including a full size photo and a link to their product page - I kid you not! ( and I am not naming the brand product not to give them any more visibility.)
  
  Also, I would expect a book that claims to be the “longevity solution” cover other areas such as physical exercise or stress management.
  
  The good news is that the book is a quick read - I covered it in one day.
• 
  Carol Bakker

  "If I could find a way to lose weight," I said to my friend, "that allowed me to have my mug of tea in the morning and a glass of wine at night, I would be happy." This book encourages drinking green tea, black coffee, and red wine, encourages adding good salt and encourages eating healthy fat. What's not to like?
  
  Initially, this book confused me; a cursory flip through it appeared to indicate that Dr. Jason Fung was flipping his position on several key points. The Longevity Solution promotes "calorie restriction" which sounds suspiciously like the "calories-in-calories-out" model that Fung took apart in The Obesity Code. While the authors don't recommend vegetarianism, their emphasis on increasing plant-based protein requires a careful reading.
  
  What helped my understanding the most was to hear DiNicolantonio say on a podcast that the book was really about the role of protein in the diet. Among the many low-carb media superstars nothing seems more debated than how much protein we should eat. I didn't, however, finish the book with a clear idea of what that amount should be. I kept reminding myself that this was not a book about weight loss.
  
  I suppose my problem with this book is that I don't especially care about longevity. In short, I read this because Dr. Jason Fung's name was on the cover. I did appreciate the reminder near the end that quality of life involves eating with family and friends, lingering over meals, being connected with each other.
• 
  Sonja Tyson

  Not bad. I first came across Dr Jason Fung on the Diet Doctor website. It's more his work with intermittent fasting that I was hoping to read. This is more a catalog of things which may or may not prolong health -- turmeric, red wine, green tea, etc. I'm not a fan of the list of things you must do to be healthy. How the hell is one to include all those components within an 8 hour feeding window which includes only one or two meals, no snacks, and the Okinawan habit of hara hachi bu (eat until 80% full)? I prefer a more general dive into the current studies than one which dictates particulars. Oh well, I still enjoyed the information, even if I now feel vaguely uneasy about not drinking enough green tea. My magnesium levels might be a bit low, too. Damn.
• 
  Felix Dragoi

  The book had everything you might want to know about the topic, and even more.
  
  The main thing that made the book great was the simple fact that it told both sides of the story when it comes to growth and longevity. The part about muscle protein synthesis conflicts with longevity, but it was still included in the book. It was mentioned how ingestion of protein at every 3-5 hours and even before bed, can be beneficial, for that specific goal - of attaining muscle mass. Many authors shy away from including anything that may be out of what they believe is the "right thing". Some health books go all-in on one idea and this might've been one of The Obesity Code's shortcomings.
  
  In a few years, I'm sure that some of the things might not be as relevant because science evolves and we'll find out new things. James and Jason are probably aware of this, so if anyone finds any shortcomings in the book, we have to be aware that this won't be the "ultimate" guide that we'll ever get on longevity.
  
  Expect part 2 at one point in the future.
• 
  John

  There is a lot of good information within these pages, & the book is worth reading. However, it could be better organized (lose one star), and it has too many links that are blatantly commercial (lose another star). It is a short book, and there is a lot of repetition. It might be a bit of a slog for someone without a little bit of nutrition/Bio chemistry background. The illustrations are very clear, and generally helpful.
• 
  Alina Tache

  This book was very hard for me to finish, which is unusual because I read a lot and fast. I picked this title up because I read dr. Fung's previous books ("The Obesity Code" and "The Diabetes Code") and they were simply enlighting! After those two, this one was a disappointment.
  
  What I liked:
  
  ++ it gives article citations and tries to explain the science in layman's terms;
  
  ++ covers quite a bit of info: protein, tea, coffee, wine, salt, lifestyle; the mention of the "blue zones" was a nice touch here.
  
  What I disliked:
  
  -- the product placement! Don't give me direct links to products, else I'll fell like I paid for an advertiser flyer. Would have been better to have a tiny section at the end about how the authors have implemented these habits in their lives and, if we want to know what they use, we should go to
  www.... Which ideally would be a blog post on their website. This gives me the option to choose if I want or not to hear what they use and it would have driven more traffic to them, not to some tea/wine/salt.
  
  -- the tone of the book is irregular and repetitive (we literally have the same sentences a few pages apart!).
  
  -- the information is stuffy, especially the first 40% of the book, which is filled with the physiological information on what happens to protein in the body. I felt like they were expecting me to be a med student, because there were lots of technical terms and very little simple explanations. This was not the dr. Fung I know from the other books.
  
  Overall, the information is nice but the end product is difficult to digest. I would rather recommend one of those summaries of books you can get off Amazon...
• 
  Telaina

  I love Dr. Fung's "Obesity Code" and "Intermittent Fasting," and through him, I follow Dr. DiNicolantonio on Instagram. I have a feeling that Dr. D wrote the first half of the book because it was too exhaustively scientific for me. I feel like that level of detail should have been in an appendix for other doctors to refer to or pick apart if they felt the need. It was so repetitive. "How much protein do you need?" "Well, it depends." "How much protein is good?" "Well, it depends." And if I had heard grams per body weight one more time, I might not have finished. It was so repetitive (see what I did there). Dr. Fung's other two books also cited loads of studies, but he also then put them into terms non-scientists could understand. (Like his refrigerator and freezer explanations of glycogen stores, ketosis, etc.)
  
  I also did not enjoy the specific product references throughout. Especially on the audio book, they sounded like commercials in the middle of my audio book. I feel like these references should have been in an appendix as well, and that there should have been more than one recommended product.
  
  There is good information here--like how salt is not evil (haven't you ever wondered how we used to preserve our food with salt but now we allegedly can't tolerate it?) and that lowering your salt intake can actually deplete your magnesium stores; saturated fat does not raise your cholesterol levels, the history of Crisco (*shudder*), coffee, tea, and red wine are good for you, and to focus on whole food, and think about where you are in your life, and your health and fitness goals, when you choose your protein sources.
• 
  Alex Nathanson

  Drs DiNicolantonio and Fung, both formidable authors in their own right, have come together to add some additional nuance to the debate over what is and isn't healthy, this time specifically around the question of longevity. Some key points that I took away.
  
  1. Calorie restriction, most effectively achieved through intermittent fasting.
  
  2. Increase healthy salt consumption. Under consuming salt is drastically more harmful than over consuming salt because of the harmful compensatory mechanisms that your body employs to retain salt.
  
  3. Increase Magnesium through food or supplement, but this will not be successful unless you consume enough salt.
  
  4. Protein is important but chances are that you are consuming too much. Unless you are a body builder or in the geriatric age range, you likely consume enough. Long lived individuals in notable "blue zones" consume protein rather infrequently.
  
  5. Excess protein can inhibit your body's mTOR pathway, a key regulator of aging (intermittent fasting) has the opposite effect. A balance of animal and plant proteins is recommended.
  
  6. Consume fats from animal sources or natural fats from fruit (coconut, olive, avocado). Avoid trans fats and mechanically processed oils.
  
  7. Adding healthy monounsatured fat like olive oil can reduce insulin spike after meal (does this explain the Mediterranean diet??
  
  8. Moderate red wine intake with food.
  
  9. All the coffee and tea that you want, just don't add sugar. Green tea better than black tea.
  
• 
  Terry Koressel

  I had high expectations for The Longevity Solution after reading the totally engaging The Obesity Code. However, The Longevity Solution fell short of expectations. The subject matter is valuable, well-researched and I believe accurate. The problem is the writing style. Repetitive, unorganized, dry and in many cases, too much scientific detail for the layperson. I loved wholistic approach to longevity as it was presented....but I struggled mightily to stay engaged. Many, many of the reviews mentioned their distaste for specific product endorsements in the book. This does not bother me since it is done quickly and without much elaboration or shameless selling. Mr. DiNicolantonio's more impactful mistake was not hiring an outstanding ghost writer. Bottom line: Excellent subject matter; well researched; factual; solid recommendations; poorly written.
• 
  Meg

  Excellent information on how to eat (and refrain from eating) to promote healthy aging and longevity. Research backed and written in understandable language with explanations and recommendations for particular brands to use.
  
  My only gripe would be that those recommended brands are a little pricey for people on low incomes, however they're suggestions, not requirements, and the choice is there to consume the best affordable options.
  
  Recommended to anyone interested in living longer and aging healthily.
• 
  Bosky

  There’s some information in here that I was glad to learn, but I couldn’t give the book more than three stars. There’s nothing really new here, and the information was poorly organized and much repeated. I’ve learned a great deal from other books by both authors, and enjoyed reading them, too; this collaboration was not especially useful or enjoyable, though.
• 
  Sylvie

  Good book, yet I expected more studies and explanations. The whole youth solution is reduced to eat more salt and magnesium, drink about 2 cups of coffee/8 cups of green tea, 2 glasses of wine, do IF. A very simple recipe, yet we are complex bio-machines and we know that one recipe does not fit all. The book is so simple that it makes me doubt it all.
• 
  Apsara

  Very informative and useful references
  
  Liked the format and the explanations for the theories backed up with the references.
  Was a bit disappointed with the product placement. May detract from the credibility.
  Overall a good, informative read.
• 
  Salaam Al-Shaksy

  A must read for any person that wishes to improve their quality of life
  
  This is a well written book supported by scientific evidence on how one can significantly improve their health and quality of life, arguably adding more good years to their life.
• 
  David

  This book is all over the place. Eat more salt... sorry haven't met many salt deprived people. The best part was when they were talking about Valter Longo. Just read his book, The Longevity Diet...which is so much better without the nonsense.
• 
  Fifa

  Interesting read..but im plant based & this book is catering to ppl that are meat/animal based...you dont need salt in your diet as you get it from eating natural plant foods...3 stars is all i give..
• 
  Fabian

  Fantastic reference for (especially) Intermittent Fasting and the science behind it. For me it also dispelled a major fallacy about Protein (being a „ body builder „).
  
  I only found some of the chapters a bit short, but still the most important information was covered.
• 
  Chad Schultz

  Evidence-based information for a healthy lifestyle? Yes please!
  
  At least, that's what I thought I would be getting.
  
  This book appears to be a mix of real science and some unusual opinions. The most glaring problem is the author's opinions on salt. You may have heard from the American Heart Association and practically every doctor everywhere that Americans eat far too much salt, and that it kills people. Just a few months ago, in October 2021, the American Heart Association begged manufacturers and restaurants to use less salt in their food.
  
  These authors claim that we aren't eating nearly enough salt. That if we want to be healthy, we should have more salt. That salt doesn't hurt anyone. The authors claim that there is no scientific evidence linking high salt consumption to any real negative health consequences. They say there is just one study indicating salt can lead to a slight increase in blood pressure, but that that has no impacts on real world health. They are highly dismissive, practically mocking, of any other opinions.
  
  Well, it only takes a few moments of Googling to find out that the international medical community is in accord on overconsumption of salt and its dangers - and that there are plenty of studies linking high salt consumption to disease and death, such as in communities where salt consumption habits changed in big ways, and so did health outcomes. Granted, there are one or two studies that seem to show less of a link between salt and negative health outcomes, but that's the way it is with science - on practically any topic, there will be many apparently contradictory studies, and then there will be metastudies carefully analyzing the quality of each study and the overall trends. Sure, I'm up for there being more research on salt consumpion and health impacts, but the massive weight of evidence is for us to eat less salt.
  
  If the authors are willing to cherry-pick data, pretend contradictory evidence doesn't exist, and be dismissive of other viewpoints, how reliable are the rest of their claims? I haven't researched every claim in the book. I suspect much of it is legitimate, but that there are multiple claims athat are not.
  
  Best not to risk it. There are plenty of higher quality sources of information on healthy lifestyles. You don't need a book with harmful misinformation.
• 
  MrBuk

  W sumie spodziewałem się książki głównie opartej na zwyczajach ludzi z 5 niebieskich stref a dostałem miejscami mało doprecyzowane informacje. Autorzy nie mogą się zdecydować ile tego białka powinniśmy jeść od, bez dolnej granicy do 1,2 g ma kg masy ciała do ponad 2 g dla kulturystów.
  
  I dlaczego tak obszerny materiał w książce o długowieczności o żywieniu sportowców wyczynowych/ kulturystów? Rozumiem, że dzieci/ młodzież powinny dostarczać na budowę organizmu większe ilości białka i ludzie starzy ale zniechęcają te rozbieżności dla osób w wieku pomiędzy dzieciństwem a starością... Dzięki rozdziałowi o niebieskich strefach wiem, że spożycie białka wacha się od bardzo małej (warzywa, owoce w przewadze 80-90%) do średniej (spożycie nabiału - serów) - ale autor pisze, że wraz z czasem dieta się zmieniała i spożycie białka rosło, hmm. Naprawdę nie ma więcej badań?!
  
  Dosłownie jeden krótki i skąpy rozdział o zwyczajach długowiecznej ludności z każdej z 5 niebieskich stref - wiele tu brakuje i na kanwie materiału z tego rozdziału można by napisać książkę do 1000 stron a nie kilkanaście stronic...
  
  Dobrze, że obalona jest teza o orzechach które podobno źle wpływały na zdrowie i sylwetkę (kcal) ale ja to wiem od Mamy a ci naukowcy to hmm, nie warto zawsze im wierzyć - i tu znów posłuchałbym 2/3 książki o zwyczajach stulatków z tych szczególnych regionów.
  
  Podobał za to mi się rozdział o kawie/herbacie/winie - choć też bym oczekiwał bardziej dopracowanego - cóż króciutka ta książeczka.
  
  A podsumowanie/ epilog woła o pomstę do nieba bo to zaledwie 2 strony rzuconej garści ogólnych porad.
  
  Ocena niska gdyż te dzieło mnie nie zadowala ale jednocześnie na początek jest dobre, ale zamieszanie z ilością białka woła o pomstę do nieba! A może toczy się spór i nie ma badań na temat białka?
  
  THREE STAR
• 
  Buck Wilde

  Doc Fung back on the scene with unpronounceable instagram maven James DiNicolantonio, here to tell you not to eat literal garbage.
  
  It's the usual shtick about eating, exercising, getting sun, all the obvious stuff we pretend we don't know so we can be like, "I don't know WHY I'm so tired and shitty all the time! How could this have happened"
  
  The new bits are: too much meat makes for too much mTOR which makes for more cancer potential. If you want longevity and not to be the alpha dog party wolf, you gotta watch your red meat intake. Unless you're lifting. Then you are encouraged to go ham. Not literal ham, as that's processed, and will also give you cancer. It's a whole thing.
  
  
• 
  Jan Zavrel

  Five stars because I like both authors and their other work, but this one is sometimes strange. Limiting protein? Plant-based diet? Longevity based on diet in blue zones? Two years ago (when this book probably started to take its shape) I’d say Yes! In late 2019 with carnivore movement, antinutrients in plants and prof. Binkman’s work? I’m not that sure that protein is such an evil thing.
  
  For newcomers, this book is a good start, for seasoned readers of Super Fuel, Salt Fix and Obesity Code, this is rather a summary of the previous work of DiNic and Fung.
• 
  Jorge DeFlon

  Siempre es fascinante leer y aprender sobre el funcionamiento de esa maravillosa máquina que es el cuerpo humano.
  -------------------------------------------------
  
  It is always fascinating to read and learn about the operation of this wonderful machine that is the human body.