Fasting Literature Database

Biomedical publications about prolonged water-only fasting from 1881-1999

TrueNorth Health Foundation has meticulously curated an extensive database of historical literature on prolonged water-only fasting dating back to the late 19th century.

This collection serves as a valuable resource for researchers, healthcare professionals, and individuals interested in exploring early perspectives and research on the effects of water-only fasting in humans.

These publications span a range of topics, including physiological effects, clinical applications, and historical reviews, that offer insights into the rich history and evolving understanding of fasting as a therapeutic intervention.

The concentration of blood components related to fuel metabolism during prolonged fasting in children

Lamers, K. J., Doesburg, W. H., Gabreels, F. J., Lemmens, W. A., Romsom, A. C., Wevers, R. A., Renier, W. O.
Clin Chim Acta 1985
Abstract

In order to study the relationship between sex, age and glucose, and the concentrations of various fuel related blood substrates in children during prolonged fasting, we have selected data of fasting procedures in 13 control children aged 3-5 yr, fasted 24 h, and 58 control children aged 6-15 yr, fasted 40 h. Compared to the blood results after overnight fast, glucose is decreased, and lactate… Read More

Influence of fasting and refeeding on the antilipolytic effect of insulin in human fat cells obtained from obese subjects

Engfeldt, P., Bolinder, J., Ostman, J., Arner, P.
Diabetes 1985
Abstract

The antilipolytic effect of insulin was investigated in obese subjects before and after 7 days of total fasting, and 1 h after oral refeeding with 100 g glucose. Isolated fat cells were prepared from subcutaneous gluteal adipose tissue and incubated in vitro. Specific insulin receptor binding and insulin inhibition of basal and isoprenaline-stimulated lipolysis were determined. During the… Read More

Starvation enhances the ability of insulin to inhibit its own secretion

Brodows, R. G.
Metabolism 1985
Abstract

To examine whether decreased insulin secretion during starvation is related to a change in the ability of insulin to inhibit its own secretion, plasma C-peptide was measured after plasma insulin levels were acutely raised by intravenous (IV) insulin infusion in a dose of 40 and 80 mU/M2/min in obese subjects before and after a 72 hour fast. Plasma glucose concentration was maintained +/- 4% of… Read More

Orotic acid excretion during starvation and refeeding in normal men

Jeevanandam, M., Shoemaker, J. D., Horowitz, G. D., Lowry, S. F., Brennan, M. F.
Metabolism 1985
Abstract

The effects of acute food deprivation and subsequent refeeding on urinary orotic acid excretion were examined in nine healthy adult male subjects. During inpatient metabolic ward conditions, the volunteers were fed a nutritionally complete, pyrimidine- and purine-free diet for three days and subsequently underwent a ten-day fast followed by a ten-day period of refeeding by total parenteral… Read More

Whole-body protein breakdown and 3-methylhistidine excretion during brief fasting, starvation, and intravenous repletion in man

Lowry, S. F., Horowitz, G. D., Jeevanandam, M., Legaspi, A., Brennan, M. F.
Ann Surg 1985
Abstract

Simultaneous whole-body protein breakdown (using 15N-glycine) and urinary 3-methylhistidine (3MH) excretion rates were determined in six hospitalized normal volunteers after 10 days of starvation and a subsequent 10-day period of total parental nutrition (TPN). These data were contrasted to whole-body protein breakdown and urinary 3MH excretion in ten depleted (14.8% body weight loss) patients… Read More

Influence of fasting on lipolytic response to adrenergic agonists and on adrenergic receptors in subcutaneous adipocytes

Ostman, J., Arner, P., Kimura, H., Wahrenberg, H., Engfeldt, P.
Eur J Clin Invest 1984
Abstract

The influence of 1 week's total fasting on the lipolytic effect of adrenergic agonists and on the binding of adrenergic antagonists was examined in isolated adipocytes of subcutaneous specimens removed from the hypogastric and the femoral sites in seventeen obese women. In the femoral adipocytes the lipolytic sensitivity to isopropyl noradrenaline decreased 30-fold (P less than 0.01)… Read More

The effect of a 48 h fast on the thermoregulatory responses to graded cooling in man

Macdonald, I. A., Bennett, T., Sainsbury, R.
Clin Sci (Lond) 1984
Abstract

The thermoregulatory responses to graded cooling were measured in 11 healthy male subjects after a 12 h fast and after a 48 h fast. The cooling stimulus was produced by changing the temperature of the skin of the trunk and legs with a water-perfused suit. Five levels of skin temperature from 35.5 to 24 degrees C were applied on each occasion. After a 12 h fast, core temperature was maintained… Read More

Short term fasting and lactovegetarian diet does not affect human saliva

Birkhed, D., Heintze, U., Edwardsson, S., Aly, K. O.
Scand J Dent Res 1984
Abstract

Forty-two adults, visiting a Swedish health home, participated in the investigation, which included a 6-day period of fasting, followed by a 6-day period with a lactovegetarian diet. The results obtained indicated only a minor and mostly not significant influence on secretion rate, buffer effect, concentration of various electrolytes, and number of lactobacilli and S. mutans of whole saliva.… Read More

Epinephrine-stimulated glucose production is not diminished by starvation: evidence for an effect on gluconeogenesis

Hendler, R. G., Sherwin, R. S.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1984
Abstract

We infused physiological doses of epinephrine (1.2 microgram/m2 X min) into six healthy obese subjects in the postabsorptive state and after 3-4 days of starvation. During starvation, a reduction in hepatic glycogen stores was demonstrated by the absence of a rise in plasma glucose and glucose production (using [3-3H]glucose) in response to glucagon infusion. The increases in plasma… Read More

Voluntary total fasting: a challenge for the medical community

Frommel, D., Gautier, M., Questiaux, E., Schwarzenberg, L.
Lancet 1984
Abstract

A movement opposing the nuclear arms race asked for medical surveillance of four people intending to go without food for an unlimited period. The course of fasting was uneventful until day 28-35, when weight loss reached 18%. In one subject fasting was ended on day 38 owing to development of Wernicke's encephalopathy; the others agreed to suspend their fast by day 40. The presence of… Read More