'The Goop Lab' Episode 4 is a slew of weird diets, all in the quest for defeating aging
The fabled “Fountain of Youth” has been a goal for many across centuries and cultures. The mythologies might differ, but the quest is always fuelled by a fear of aging, a fear of mortality. In episode four of ‘The Goop Lab’, Netflix’s documentary series/infomercial on Gwyneth Paltrow’s wellness empire Goop, the Hollywood star explores the role of nutrition in the process of aging.
The episode titled ‘The Health-span Plan’ features Valter D. Longo is an Italian-American biogerontologist and cell biologist known for his studies on the role of fasting and nutrient response genes on aging. Longo tells Gwyneth and Goop chief content officer Elise Loehnen, “The problem, I think, with nutrition is being that it never came as a medicine… And really this is what I worked 30 years almost for is... What can a doctor actually give you that allows the person to live longer, healthier?”
The Goop employees, in this episode, participated in an experiment. Even Gwyneth. They tested their “biological ages” before and after trying different diets. Also known as physiological age, it is a measure of how well or poorly one’s body is functioning relative to one’s actual calendar age, or chronological age. The biological age of a person is based on a combination of factors like inflammation, metabolism, kidney and liver function, and cardiovascular health.
Wendy Lauria, a senior VP for brand partnerships at Goop, opted to go vegan for three weeks, Elise chose a pescatarian diet, and Gwyneth opted for a five-day fast-mimicking diet developed by Longo. While Wendy did not experience any reduction in her biological age, both Gwyneth and Elise saw a significant reduction, post their diets.
Of course, there is a downside to the Longo fast-mimicking diet. It is pretty expensive. It is, however, not dangerous. So this seems to mirror the Goop philosophy of wellness products pretty well. As with most things in ‘The Goop Lab’, this also sells an idea that is based on human fears and consumerist desires.
‘The Goop Lab’ is available for streaming on Netflix.
