Wanna grow old? Set down the drumstick.

You bastards gave me a little caning this week for my analysis of a study regarding post-meal snacking. Some of you seemed to think that the "statistically insignificance" of the 10% difference in snack calorie consumption between people who ate quick meals and long meals made my argument moot. I've thought it over. There's a 10% chance you might be right. Therefore, I consider it statistically insignificant.

So you're wrong.

Just kidding. I'm impressed (and slightly terrified) by your intelligence, Nerd Herd. Thanks for keeping me on my toes!

And speaking of fitness and nutrition bloggers who occasionally make shit up, Dr. Gabe Mirkin completely stoked a lot of vegans this week by linking reduced protein consumption to longevity. The gist of it is that eating less protein causes a drop in a hormone called Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1). This is a good thing because "IGF-1 shortens life by increasing cell DNA genetic damage, and causes cancer by blocking apoptosis that causes cancer cells to kill themselves before they destroy their host."

I tend to take Dr. Mirkin's writing with a grain of salt. On at least one occasion, I caught him making a super controversial claim with really dodgy back-up studies. I think it was regarding the icing of injuries to fight inflammation, which he claimed has worthless. When I tried to track down the study he sited (not a big link provider, that Gabe), it was nowhere to be found. I emailed him about it and he never responded. Of course, given my vast importance in the Fitness and Nutrition Blogosphere, I'm certain he saw my email, so I take the lack of response as an admission of guilt.

But I digress. This time, I think he's on to something, but he's a little twisty-turny about it. If you want the Short Attention Span Theater version:

1. Here's a 2008 Science Daily article describing the study showing that decreased protein also decreases IGF-1.
2. Here's a 2011 New York Times article about the study showing decreased IGF-1 can lead to a longer life.
3. Eat about .8 grams of protein per kilo of body weight and you'll be able to sing "When I'm Sixty Four" and mean it.

Another thing Dr. Mirkin fails to mention is that the 2011 study, which is sort of the lynchpin of his commentary, involves an isolated community of Ecuadorian dwarfs. I don't think it's that important, but it's a rad fact that would liven up a somewhat dry post. Then again, he's a highly regarded and successful fitness and nutrition authority, so maybe he knowingly decided that the mention of South American little people would be statistically insignificant.