Periods of deliberate fasting with restriction of solid food intake are practiced worldwide, mostly based on traditional, cultural or religious reasons. There is large empirical and observational evidence that medically supervised modified fasting (fasting cure, 200-500 kcal nutritional intake per day) with periods of 7-21 days is efficacious in the treatment of rheumatic diseases, chronic… Read More

CONTEXT: Impaired lipid metabolism is linked with obesity-associated insulin resistance, which may be reversed by caloric restriction (CR). OBJECTIVE: In a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial, we compared the effects of intermittent fasting (IF) and CR on markers of lipid metabolism in muscle. DESIGN: Seventy-six women (BMI 25-40 kg/m2) were randomized to one… Read More

Fuchs’ endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) is a progressive disorder of the corneal endothelium characterized by endothelial cell functional abnormalities and loss of visual acuity. Chronic oxidative stress plays a key role in disease progression. We present the case of a 69-year-old woman with an 18-year history of FECD that improved after dietary intervention with an exclusively whole-plant… Read More

Short-term fasting (48 hours) was shown to be effective in protecting normal cells and mice but not cancer cells against high dose chemotherapy, termed Differential Stress Resistance (DSR), but the feasibility and effect of fasting in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy is unknown. Here we describe 10 cases in which patients diagnosed with a variety of… Read More

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

We studied plasma gastrin levels in 12 healthy men before and after 4, 8 and 10 days of total food deprivation. The gastrin levels during the starvation period were significantly lower than the preexposure values. No such changes were observed in 6 other men, serving as controls, who were allowed to eat ad libitum during the experiment. Blood glucose levels and urinary output of catecholamines… Read More

1. Dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (D beta H) activity was measured in sera from ten healthy male students after 2 and 3 days fasting which is associated with increased circulating noradrenaline. 2. Circulating D beta H remained essentially unchanged throughout the fasting period, although 'stress parameters' like plasma glycerol and free fatty acid concentrations were elevated by a factor… Read More

Experience with 18 obese patients who have undergone prolonged (60 days) therapeutic starvation shows that in general this is a safe procedure, but there are significant associated hazards, particularly a breakdown in electrolyte homoeostasis. The need for close biochemical control of such patients is stressed.