There is much more background info on Longo and his work on intermittent fasting if you go digging. More interesting than this particular piece, which is very short on context and science relating to the study of intermittent fasting, calorie restriction as adjuvant cancer therapy, immune regeneration via fasting, etc.
http://gero.usc.edu/faculty/longo/
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-06/uosc-fts06021...
http://michelsonmedical.org/2014/12/26/igf-1-fasting-discuss...
http://news.usc.edu/58074/wanted-a-recipe-for-longevity/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25498742
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25498743
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25549805