No coquetry when you ask the dashing doctor how many springs he has on the clock, the answer comes out, with a proud smile: 70 years! How old would he like to live, someone said to be obsessed with longevity? “Up to 600 yearshe likes to answer us, before continuing: no, seriously, as long as possible in good health”. This is in fact the leitmotif of his books, bestsellers like “The best medicine is you”, “You are never better cared for than by yourself” or even “Health ahead of you”.
The latest is entitled “Your future on prescription”, subtitled “Join the new health revolution” (Ed. Robert Laffont, €19.90). It is necessary to understand by this that it is a question of “first living book in the worldaccording to Frédéric Saldmann, in the sense that I answer thousands of questions with my own voice”. For this, the successful author specifies that “ just flash the QR code”. Clearly, this “health revolution” is its new toy. “A few days ago, a patient said to me: that’s good, now I can chat with you at 3 a.m.”. He explains: “It was artificial intelligence that completely processed the book with scientific sources. You can ask me any question and I answer straight away.”.
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Going 16 hours without eating
His great hobby, sequential fasting, consists of eliminating one of the three meals of the day – everyone can find the one they prefer to skip –, observing a period of 16 hours in a row without eating and not drinking during this entire period. time as water, tea or herbal teas – even a little coffee without sugar or sweetener.
“In this domain, we continue to make astonishing discoveries, enthuses the French doctor. The benefits are even more numerous than previously thought”. As ? “In 52 days of sequential fasting, we observe that we completely reset the counters, we rejuvenate from the inside, we increase our immunity dramatically. As every second, we produce 20 million cells to replace our worn or dead cells, the risk of copying errors increases with age, which can in particular give rise to cancer. Sequential fasting strengthens DNA, there are fewer errors from bad cell copies that lead to disease. A lack, biological stress or even a change of rhythm due to sequential fasting mobilize our immune defense and cellular regeneration systems.” And that’s not all : “Sequential fasting allows you to be more invigorated, more optimistic, you have incredible energy, you have fewer allergies, it increases brain acuity and agility as well as memory. And good humor…”
Another example of a recent discovery: “We realized that we age through the intestineshe writes. In 2023, we discovered that we could not make them younger. In five days, the body completely rebuilds the surface of this organ, its “tapestry”. In people who practice sequential fasting, studies have shown the appearance of new protective species in the intestinal flora. This power mode therefore allows you to clean up your interior house so as not to wear it out prematurely.”.
Why 16 hours without eating, and not 14 or 18 hours? “Because this is the median duration to obtain the beneficial effects of sequential fasting. If you only fast for 14 hours, it will be a little less effective”. And fast one full day per week? “This is of no interest”.
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A whole state of mind
Sequential fasting is not limited to the way you eat. “It is indeed much widerinsists Frédéric Saldmann. It’s quite a state of mind to have during this abstinence. This implies letting go; the brain also needs to take a break. This is why it is, for example, important to relearn how to play like children do. A simple little thing: sometimes you are anxious. Instead of reaching for junk, put both hands over your mouth and breathe in the scent from your fingers. The desire to eat will pass. It is important to already listen to your body’s signals with common sense and only eat if you are really hungry.”
Could sequential fasting be the panacea? “No, it’s not a panaceaadmits the nutrition specialist. But it is a very important element if we want to live longer in good health. It’s a way of putting all the chances on your side so that things go well for as long as possible. We will gain years of life, but above all years of life in good health. And that changes everything. To my patients, I always say: try it, go gradually, there is no risk in skipping a meal one day if you hydrate well. Watch for the moment when you are really hungry. Then, analyze if you feel better, if you are less tired, if you have more energy… If yes, you continue. Common sense will guide you.”
Is this way of living and eating suitable for everyone? “No, but I would say about 80% of people. Among my patients, approximately 20% will experience hypoglycemia. If we see that things are not going well, we stop”. What about contraindications? “Sequential fasting is of course contraindicated in children, adolescents, pregnant women, people suffering from certain pathologiesreplies Dr Saldmann before specifying that, “whatever happens, you should always consult your doctor first before embarking on sequential fasting.”.
This is not a diet to lose weight
Is there a risk that the body will get used to it and no longer respond? Or that we regain weight the day we decide to stop sequential fasting. “The first thing to say is that you should not do it to lose weight. Sequential fasting causes you to lose 3.7 kg to 5.2 kg on average. It’s not a lot. But that’s not the goal, it’s not a diet to lose weight. It is a diet to have better energy, better immunity and less inflammation. So, if we decide to go back to three meals, yes, a priori, logically, we logically regain our weight, I imagine.”
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Is there a scientific consensus on sequential fasting? “On PubMed, there are 1,358 human studies on the subject; they all go in the same direction. Meta-analyses show that it really works. So yes, we can say there is a very strong consensus.”
However, quite recently – notably on the set of “Quelle époque!” (France 2), Dr Saldmann was accused of uttering untruths, of saying scientific nonsense. To this he replies: “To these people, I advise you to see my bibliographical references which are at the end of the book. I always cite my sources and around ten colleagues reread me.”And when some doctors do not hesitate to call him a charlatan, he retorts: “Anyway, whatever you say, today thanks to social networks, anyone can express themselves. Sometimes the sources are a little obscure…”
