But the results of fasting-mimicking diets have been very similar to what they would expect from full fasting. They are getting excellent results for conditions where they are aiming for good rates of autophagy like cancer, PCOS, PCKS, etc.

While I would like to see some good studies of full fasting in humans, I also don't think we should be so dismissive of fasting-mimicking diets or jump to conclusions about autophagy having an on-off switch. All the "if you so much as lick a spoon while you're cooking, you'll stop autophagy cold" is apparently not true. And is apparently very far from true if you can still increase autophagy on a fasting-mimicking diet.

I know we don't have the studies, even in mice, to prove anything. But those kinds of results suggest to me that if you want weight loss, insulin very low or autophagy, you may be fine with a fasting-mimicking diet. If you want zero insulin and growth hormone increased, maybe not.