BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Serotonergic and dopaminergic systems in the brain are essential for homeostatic and reward-associated regulation of food intake and systemic energy metabolism. It is largely unknown how fasting influences these systems or if such effects are altered in humans with obesity. We therefore aimed to evaluate the effects of fasting on hypothalamic/thalamic serotonin transporter… Read More

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Fasting and energy-restricted diets have been evaluated in several studies as a means of improving cardiometabolic biomarkers related to body fat loss. However, further investigation is required to understand potential alterations of leptin and adiponectin concentrations. Thus, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to derive a more precise estimate of the… Read More

Background: Water-only fasting (WF) is a practice used to improve and maintain health. Objective: The aim of the study was to show whether WF performed for 8 days may be a threat to the health and/or life of people undergoing this practice. Methods: Twelve middle-aged men participated in the study. During the 8-day WF, the subjects ate no food except for drinking mineral water. Before and… Read More

BACKGROUND: Dynamic orchestration of metabolic pathways during continuous fasting remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the physiological effects of Bigu-style fasting and underlying metabolic reprogramming in healthy adults. METHODS: We conducted a 5-d Bigu trial in 43 healthy subjects [age 23.2 +/- 2.4 y; BMI (in kg/m2) 22.52 +/- 1.79]. Physiological indicators and body composition… Read More

Fasting potentials are the most interesting topics in the Nutritional Era. Fasting consists of the catabolism of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates to maintain blood glucose levels in a normal range. The action mechanisms of fasting were firstly understood in minor organisms and later in humans. Nutritional interventions of caloric restriction could attenuate age-associated epigenetic… Read More

Obesity is a chronic metabolic disorder associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and intermittent fasting might mitigate risk. Intermittent fasting creates a negative energy balance that results in weight loss, but the cardiovascular benefits of fasting have not been studied thoroughly. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of an acute 24-hr fast on… Read More

Intermittent fasting blunts inflammation in asthma(1) and rheumatoid arthritis(2), suggesting that fasting may be exploited as an immune-modulatory intervention. However, the mechanisms underpinning the anti-inflammatory effects of fasting are poorly characterized(3-5). Here, we show that fasting in humans is sufficient to blunt CD4(+) T helper cell responsiveness. RNA sequencing and flow… Read More

We aimed to explore whether a single-day of fasting (SDF) increase emergency room (ER) visits due to renal colic (RC). We elected to concentrate on Yom-Kippur (i.e.: SDF), the holiest day in Judaism. Food and liquid consumption is prohibited during this day for 25 h, and an estimated 50-70% fasting rate is observed. SDF always takes place between mid-September and mid-October during which the… Read More

Calorie restriction is a primary dietary intervention demonstrated over many decades in cellular and animal models to modulate aging pathways, positively affect age-associated diseases, and, in clinical studies, to promote beneficial health outcomes. Because long-term compliance with daily calorie restriction has proven problematic in humans several intermittent fasting (IF) regimens,… Read More

Serotonin is an important neuromodulator involved in many physiological processes including mood and satiety. In the brain, serotonin is manufactured from tryptophan, as serotonin itself cannot cross the blood-brain barrier. Previous research has shown that blood-tryptophan levels increase upon ingestion of carbohydrates and decrease upon protein consumption. How this translates into serotonin… Read More