SIRT diet for weight loss – is it healthy?

Developed by scientists and nutritionists Aidan Goggins and Glen Matten in 2016, the SIRT diet is described in the book "The SirtFood Diet". The rules are simple: you should limit calories and introduce foods that contain sirtuins into your diet. What is that? They are simply enzymatic proteins that occur in all living organisms. Research on these structures has been conducted since the 1980s, and in 1984 this type of protein was discovered for the first time in yeast. As it turned out, there is a correlation between sirtuin levels and diet.

The number of sirtuins increases when the caloric content of meals is reduced by 50% . The combination of calorie restriction and the introduction of sirtuin-rich foods is the key to losing weight . Sirtuins also have a very positive effect on the body : they slow down the aging process, deactivate free radicals , have a positive effect on metabolism , regulate insulin and glucose levels , are involved in repairing damaged genetic material and have a beneficial effect on the thyroid gland ¹ . An important assumption of this diet is not so much the elimination of specific products (those who follow the diet are happy because they do not have to give up chocolate and red wine), but the inclusion of foods rich in sirtuins in the menu. 

What can you eat on the SIRT diet?

In the first stage of the diet (there are four), you should give up fast food, processed products and white flour . What do we include in our diet? Mainly kale, strawberries, onion, parsley, olive oil, matcha green tea, buckwheat, red wine, dark chocolate, walnuts, turmeric, capers, red chicory. Blueberries and... coffee are also recommended ² . Sounds nice!

The first stage of the diet lasts three days, during which we consume 1,000 calories . We mainly drink sirtuin cocktails - one meal a day is planned, preferably based on products rich in sirtuin. In the second stage (between days 4 and 7), we increase the caloric intake to 1,500 calories, eat two meals with products rich in sirtuin and drink two cocktails. The next week is the third phase - during this time there are no calorie restrictions , and we eat three meals (according to the scheme from the previous phases, based on sirtuins), drink cocktails and allow ourselves (healthy) snacks. The last stage is a change in the nutrition system - it lasts from the 15th day of the diet. There are no calorie restrictions, we simply eat dishes from products rich in sirtuin and drink cocktails.

What is the effect of the SIRT diet?

The diet makes you lose weight quickly (even 3 kilograms in the first days). However, it is not only about losing weight, but about introducing a different eating style . Although rapid weight loss is tempting for many people, it is important to remember that such a change is never permanent . In the first week of the diet, only one third of the weight lost is fat, the rest is water, muscle mass and glycogen ^3.4 . This also applies to other types of diets.

In their book, the authors claim that the diet has a fantastic impact on metabolism and weight loss , and is simply very healthy . They based their study on a small study of 39 people at their sports center : they followed a strict diet and exercise regimen for a week. After the seventh day, the average weight loss was 3.2 kg, and the participants gained muscle mass. However, the observations were not continued and the results were not published in any scientific journal.

SIRT diet – healthy or not?

To summarize: cutting calories will always result in weight loss, but the effect will not be permanent . However, it is worth emphasizing that introducing healthy products into the diet has a positive impact on health, and those rich in sirtuins are very beneficial . For example, eating dark chocolate lowers the risk of heart disease and helps fight inflammation ⁵ , drinking green tea may lower the risk of stroke and diabetes ⁶ , the multi-directional health-promoting properties of turmeric are also widely known. However, to benefit from the benefits of these products, it is not necessary to follow the SIRT diet rules, just a healthy diet .

Bibliography:

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3. Müller MJ, Enderle J, Bosy-Westphal A. Changes in Energy Expenditure with Weight Gain and Weight Loss in Humans. Curr Obes Rep. 2016 Dec;5(4):413-423. doi: 10.1007/s13679-016-0237-4. PMID: 27739007; PMCID: PMC5097076.
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6. Bhatti SK, O'Keefe JH, Lavie CJ. Coffee and tea: perks for health and longevity? Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2013 Nov;16(6):688-97. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0b013e328365b9a0. PMID: 24071782.