Product Description

According to Dr. Roy Walford, there's no need for plastic surgery or obsessive exercising to escape the effects of time. He argues that longevity can be significantly increased by a diet that contains all the required nutrients but about a third fewer calories. In this completely revised edition of The 120 Year Diet, Dr. Walford explains - and backs up his explanation with laboratory evidence - why he believes that the anti-aging diet can preserve one's vital, productive years and extend the human life span to well beyond its present maximum. A perfect companion to the author's The Anti-Aging Plan, this book also includes 20 days of varied high-nutrition menus that contain fewer than 1,500 calories a day.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #208070 in Books
• Published on: 2000-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

Customer Reviews

Interesting but a bit dry
This book is about the CRON (Calorie restriction Optimal Nutrition) diet, which the author is convinced will lead to a life extension to the age of 120 years, if the diet is begun in early adulthood. This claim is based on many years of animal experimentation, mostly on rodents and monkeys. The author himself has followed the diet for 2 years inside something called Biosphere 2 together with other "crew members". (At time of writing he was still following the diet and had the 2nd edition of the book published at the age of 76.)

The book comprises mostly scientific material and is somewhat dry and not easy to read for the layman.

However, it contains much basic and useful information about healthy eating, although I disagree with the author's acceptance of RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) values as being at all valid. He does however generally recommend higher supplement intakes than RDAs, while remaining extremely moderate in his assessment of the amounts of essential nutrients required.

As the acronym "CRON" implies, this diet, which is claimed not only to prevent disease but also directly retard ageing, is effective due to its optimal nutrition but low calorie content.

Dr. Walford has convinced me of his claim, though the diet is not something I would necessarily have wanted to embark upon, had I been young and healthy enough to begin with any hope of reaching the goal - an extended and healthy life- span. The diet itself would not deter me, since the one I already eat is even more limited than the one he recommends.

I have no criticism of the bulk of the author's "expoundings", but was somewhat startled that with all his "optimal nutrition" talk he seems to have no inkling about the negative consequences of the use of micro-wave ovens or of the evils of non-stick frying pans. Perhaps no-one knew about these things until after the year 2000, when the book was published??

Appendix A comprises healthy recipes fulfilling the requirements of the CRON diet, so the reader is enabled to get started, should he or she be inclined to do so. Appendix B comprises tables showing the nutritive values of the best foods.

I would recommend this book only to young people who really, really want to extend their life-span, or to those extremely interested in the subject.

The simplest is always best.
This book is readable and informative. A very involved review of the harm we are doing ourselves with unhealthy lifestyles and what we can do to decelerate the ageing process.
Excellent!