Lindsey DeSoto, RDN & Author at Fit Healthy Momma, rates the ProLon Diet for those interested in learning if it's worth the price.
Fit Healthy Momma Rating: 9.7/10 
Prolon's Fasting Mimicking Diet is a first-of-its-kind weight loss and cell rejuvenation plan that's designed to give your body the benefits of fasting without starving. Overall, if you're seeking a solid, science-based way to give your metabolism a boost, Prolon is a great option.
If you stay up to date on the latest health and wellness trends, I’m sure you’ve read about the benefits of fasting.
Fasting is extremely popular in the nutrition world— and for a good reason, too.
Several studies show the effectiveness of intermittent fasting to provide many short-term health benefits ranging from weight loss to blood sugar control.
But what if you could get the benefits of fasting without actually fasting?
This is what a new diet method called The Fasting Mimicking Diet claims to do. We've covered other weight loss methods here, including Join Calibrate and Join Found, as well as, the ever-so-popular Noom diet plan. All of them have one thing in common - they all have something unique to offer you.
This article provides a diet review on ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet to help you decide if it’s right for you.
What is ProLon?
"pro-longevity" (ProLo) created by Dr. Valter Longo - a Fast Mimicking Diet thriving weight loss system.
ProLon, short for “pro-longevity,” was created by Dr. Valter Longo, a well-known biologist and researcher.
Dr. Longo serves as the director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California.
While he is not a medical doctor, he does hold a Ph.D. and has researched fasting diets for many years.
ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet, also known as Fast Mimicking Diet or ProLon FMD, is a 5-day prepackaged, low-calorie diet kit developed from Dr. Longo’s research.
The meal-kit retails for $249 but frequently goes on sale for $199.
What sets the ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet apart is that the ProLon meal kit is the first and only clinically tested Fast Mimicking Diet program and is based on extensive scientific research.
ProLon claims to provide multiple health benefits without the need for long-term dieting or lifestyle change.
The program works to:
- Promote cell rejuvenation
- Improve metabolic health
- Enhance clarity and performance
- Promote fat loss
Though the primary goals of this program are cellular regeneration, longevity, and reducing the risk of chronic disease, many users experience weight loss.
What’s The Science Behind The “Fasting Mimicking Diet?”
For decades, Dr. Longo and his research team studied the way our cells can sense certain foods. He designed the fast mimicking diet based on his studies.
With the results of these studies, Dr. Longo created a unique composition of both micro and macronutrients designed to trick the human body into thinking it is fasting without complete food elimination.
The foods in his program are low in calories and carbs but relatively high in fat.
High fat, low carb, low-calorie diets cause your body to create energy from non-carb sources once glycogen stores deplete. This is known as gluconeogenesis.
After Dr. Longo created his meal plan, he conducted both human and animal trials to put his fasting diet to the ultimate test.
Research results were solid and able to support Longo’s health claims.
While more traditional intermittent fasting methods have been studied and proven to promote weight loss and improve the risk of chronic disease, fasts typically do not extend beyond 48 hours.
To reap the benefits of cell regeneration and longevity, you must fast for over 48 hours, which can understandably be difficult.
Fasting beyond 48 hours is called a “prolonged fast,” which can result in longevity, autophagy with cell regeneration, reduced inflammation, and anti-aging benefits.
Anyone can fast for an extended period and may see similar benefits to those following the Prolon Fasting Mimicking Diet Plan.
The ProLon FMD may be easier to follow than a water-only fasting period and may reduce negative impacts associated with full-blown fastings like dizziness and fatigue.
How Does ProLon Work?
The ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet consists of five days worth of pre-packaged foods.
There is a different box for each day on the program, and users are only allowed to eat the foods inside the box besides water and decaf tea.
It is not recommended that you drink coffee during your fast.
Each box contains a day's worth of light meals along with easy-to-follow directions.
The foods inside each kit may range from beverages and nut bars to soups and olives.
Some of the foods you may find in your ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet Kit are:
- Herbal tea
- Energy drinks
- Olives
- Kale crackers
- Dark chocolate or nut bars
- Variety of soup blends such as tomato soup and vegetable soup
Day 1 of the diet contains around 1,090 calories, and days 2-5 contain approximately 725 calories.
The diet aims to meet between 34 and 54% of your usual daily calorie intake.
At the end of your five days, you gradually ease back into your regular eating habits without restriction.
Here’s what may happen to your body during the five-day fast.
Day 1
During day one, the body begins to transform into fasting mode, and fat burning begins.
Day 2
Fat burning continues to increase, resulting in ketogenesis. After 48 hours of fasting, you may be in ketosis. Day 2 is when the health and anti-aging benefits really kick into gear.
Day 3
During day three, fat burning and ketone production continue to ramp up, and autophagy or cleaning out damaged cells begins.
Day 4
Cell clean up, fat burn, and regeneration continues.
Day 5
Today is the last day of your fast. While you start your transition diet the following day, cellular clean-up and regeneration continue for 2-3 days after your fast is complete.
The plan is designed to be completed for a minimum of three consecutive months to maximize health benefits.
Is The ProLon Diet Similar to Intermittent Fasting?
There are similarities, but they aren't the same.
While the ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet is similar to Intermittent Fasting (IF), they are not the same.
There are different types of intermittent fasting, also known as time-restricted, diets
Some of the more popular IF methods are 16:8, or fasting for 16 hours, and eating for 8 hours.
The form of IF that closely resembles ProLon is the 5:2 method which consists of five regular diet days and a complete fast or very low-calorie diet (less than 600 calories) during the other two days.
The ProLon diet consists of a more extended period of fasting when compared to standard intermittent fasting methods.
The prolonged fasting over five days shifts your body into fasting mode while allowing you to continue to eat.
Both may put your body into ketogenesis which can lead to the majority of favorable health outcomes associated with fasting.
Compared to IF, the ProLon diet helps you reap the benefits of prolonged fasting and claims to slow the aging process.
Discussing the Potential Benefits Of ProLon
Cell Rejuvenation
When you fast for an extended period (typically over three days), your body becomes stressed.
The specific composition of nutrients in the five-day meal plan nourishes the body without activation of hormones like insulin-like growth factor which is a pro-aging pathway produced by normal diets.
These hormones relay a message to the body that it has consumed enough carbohydrates and protein and may result in gene activation which may speed up cell rejuvenation.
When your body becomes stressed during fasting, your cells begin to rapidly regenerate and autophagy, or cleaning up and self-repair of damaged cells, takes place.
Increased Metabolic Health
Intermittent fasting has been studied to improve metabolic health by reducing concentrations of biomarkers associated with chronic diseases such as blood glucose levels, insulin levels, and cholesterol levels.
In comparison, similar results were found in a study conducted by Dr. Longo.
The results of the randomized control trial found the following results in participants after completing ProLon FMD for three consecutive months.
- Reduce waist circumference
- Maintain healthy glucose levels
- Improve lipid levels
- Promote healthy systolic blood pressure
- Improve markers of inflammation
Reduction and improvement of these biomarkers improve metabolic health and decrease the risk of chronic disease.
According to the study, the above results were only found in participants with high levels of these markers.
Enhanced Clarity and Performance
One of the key benefits Dr. Longo promises through his ProLon diet is autophagy and the generation of healthy, new cells.
While it may be a struggle at the beginning, Longo claims that customers report improved mental clarity as well as energy after completion.
Some animal studies have also shown that fasting may lead to improved brain function and performance.Weight Loss (Low-Calorie Diet)
According to the small study conducted by Dr. Longo, participants who completed three consecutive months of the ProLon Fast Mimicking Diet lost an average weight of five pounds compared to the control group.
In addition, those participants who lost weight also saw a fat loss, particularly a reduction of belly fat.
They also lost approximately 1.2” of waist circumference.
Of note, participants were instructed not to change their diet or follow a calorie restriction outside of the 5-day meal plan.
Body-Nourishing Foods
All the food that comes with the diet kit is all-natural, plant-based meals.
They are also gluten-free and lactose-free.
The foods are suitable for most people and can fit into a variety of lifestyles.
The products do contain allergens and are not suitable for those with a nut, oat, or sesame allergy.
In addition, the meal kit contains supplements and foods formulated with precise micro and macronutrients to properly nourish the body while fasting.
Tasty Nutrition
ProLon products and foods were created alongside top food scientists and chefs to provide great taste while staying compliant with FMD.
According to diet reviews, the foods not only taste great, but they also help maintain satiety and energy.
Many ProLon reviews by users compliment the taste of the kale crackers and tomato soup as well as the choco crisp bars.
Although there are plenty of raving reviews about the deliciousness of the foods, I believe when you are hungry and only allowed to eat a limited amount of food, it will naturally taste better.
Convenience
The ProLon diet is very simple to follow.
Once you order the kit and your package arrives, you simply eat everything in the box for that particular day.
The food comes pre-packaged and includes all food and drinks (except water) for the duration of the fast.
Each package comes with a set of easy-to-follow instructions.
The website also claims to give customers complimentary access to health coaches to discuss their particular health goals before starting the program.
Is the ProLon Diet Good For YOU?
Needless to say, there are certain groups of people who will benefit from this diet more than others.
Although ProLon is generally safe for most healthy individuals, it is a good idea to speak with a medical doctor before beginning any new diet.
Get this:
If you already follow a reasonably healthy diet and feel like you need to detox, the program may help you reset and promote mindful eating habits once the fast is complete, but there are more cost-effective ways to promote mindful eating and losing weight.
If you perform an intense aerobic activity or strenuous exercise resulting in large amounts of calories burned and are not willing or able to put a pause on these activities for your fast, this may not be a good choice for you and could lead to fatigue or lightheadedness.
If you are a coffee addict and drink coffee daily, this may be difficult to stick with.
Fortunately, the ProLon kit includes energy drinks, also known as L Drinks.
This diet is not recommended if you have a history of an eating disorder, breastfeeding, or pregnant.
Wrapping Up: Is ProLon Fasting Worth It?
Three doctors are quoted on how much they support ProLon. They all say it is 100% worth it and legit.
One of the major cons of the ProLon diet is the cost.
While they sell package and bundle deals and frequently offer discounts, the price is pretty high for the amount of food you get.
The cost can become exceptionally high if you stick with the diet for three cycles as recommended.
While there are numerous studies on the benefits of intermittent fasting, further research is needed on the long-term benefits of the ProLon diet.
Although results are very intriguing and appear promising, there has only been one human study to date.
Restricting calories for five days only to resume eating junk food for the remainder of the month may result in eating more than before, causing weight gain.
It just doesn’t seem practical as a way to lose very much weight.
Sure, you may drop a few pounds due to the calorie restriction, but it can very quickly creep back once the fasting period is over.
According to a few diet reviews, users gained the weight back once the program was complete.
If you want to create long-term lifestyle changes and adopt healthier eating habits, I recommend consulting with a Registered Dietitian.
If you are more concerned with other benefits like boosting your body’s life span, overall health and have the extra money to spend, I would recommend giving the ProLon diet a shot.
Verified Review
There are 6 user reviews here that all say prolon is worth it.