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Fasting has shown its potential to reduce colorectal cancer risk by triggering cellular changes that may slow tumor growth, with a study demonstrating a 20% improvement in overall survival. However, lifestyle changes alone aren't enough for prevention. Fasting has been shown to activate autophagy, the body's natural process of cleaning out damaged cells and regenerating healthy ones. According to a review, autophagy plays a key role in preventing cancer development by maintaining cellular health and reducing oxidative stress. By clearing away cells that might otherwise turn cancerous, fasting may help the body maintain a more stable and resilient internal environment....

New research may reshape our understanding of what happens to the immune system when we fast. The study on mice shows that the brain's hypothalamus controls how the immune system adapts during fasting, through a handful of highly specialized neurons responsible for making animals hungry. The study shows the brain's perception of hunger or fullness, rather than actual eating or caloric restriction, is enough to drive changes in the body's immune cells. The findings cast doubt on the current view that a lack of nutrients alone controls how the immune system responds to fasting, indicating the brain has a critical...

Long-term fasting in 24-hour cycles increases the sex drive of male mice by lowering the concentration of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain. This effect is linked to a diet-induced deficiency of the precursor substance tryptophan—an amino acid that must be obtained through food. Researchers suggest that similar mechanisms may exist in humans. Starting at two months of age, male mice were subjected to a specific form of intermittent fasting. Their access to food followed a recurring 24-hour pattern: the animals were allowed to feed ad libitum for 24 hours, followed by 24 hours with access to water only. During...

Before Ash Wednesday catches you unawares, make a point of sitting down and give some thought to how you want to spend this Lent...There are three holy practices which Catholics are called to embrace in penitential seasons such as Lent and Advent. These three practices are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving...When you make your Lenten plan, choose something specific from each category—and you’re set for a grace-filled journey to Easter. 1) PRAYER - Start by asking yourself: what are my prayer habits now? How much time should we set aside for daily prayer? Holy priests and spiritual advisors say that fifteen...

Research shows that most cases of type 2 diabetes can be prevented through lifestyle interventions. But if you already have the condition, can it be reversed? The answer is a resounding yes, according to Gerald I. Shulman, MD, Ph.D. Insulin resistance drives type 2 diabetes, Shulman explains. "If you reverse insulin resistance, you reverse type 2 diabetes," he said. In a landmark study, Shulman and Kitt Petersen, MD showed that modest weight reduction—even as little as 10%—does just that. However, Shulman notes, many people who are initially successful at losing weight regain it. The novel anti-obesity GLP-1 medications can play...

Intermittent fasting may benefit antioxidant and inflammatory markers in postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis, according to a study. Aryan Tavakoli and colleagues randomly assigned 44 postmenopausal women (with overweight or obesity) with rheumatoid arthritis to either following a 16:8 intermittent fasting diet or their usual diet. The researchers found that the intermittent fasting group showed significant decreases in serum malondialdehyde levels and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and increased catalase levels versus the control group. There were also significant decreases seen in the liver enzymes aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase in the intermittent fasting group. "In conclusion, these findings indicate that intermittent fasting...

Intermittent fasting has gained attention for its potential metabolic benefits, but questions remain about which regimen is most effective and how it compares to continuous energy restriction. To address these questions, researchers analyzed data from over 9,800 participants across 153 studies, focusing on three common intermittent fasting regimens: time-restricted eating, alternate-day fasting, and the 5:2 diet. These were compared with continuous energy restriction and usual diets. The analysis examined four key metabolic domains (anthropometry, blood pressure, glycemic parameters, and lipid profile) across 14 specific outcomes. By employing network meta-analysis, the researchers were able to combine direct and indirect evidence, allowing...

A recent study highlights that significant health benefits and molecular adaptations from fasting are detectable after three days. Recent findings show that prolonged fasting triggers significant and systematic changes across multiple organs in the body. These results highlight potential health benefits that extend beyond weight loss, but they also reveal that these impactful changes only begin to occur after three full days without food. Health Benefits of Fasting Unveiled A recent study published in Nature Metabolism sheds light on how the body responds to extended periods without food, offering valuable insights into the processes occurring during prolonged fasting. Researchers from...

A combination of intermittent fasting and a specialized biomedical bandage can restore bone healing in aged mice to levels seen in young animals, according to research. "Key to bone repair is a type of cell called osteoprogenitors, which create new bone tissue," explains Joshua Reeves. First, they analyzed the changes that occur in the bone of mice during aging, finding a clear decline in both bone structure and healing capacity with age. The team noticed a reduction in blood vesselspwithin periosteal bone-forming tissue, beginning in adulthood. They also observed changes in aging osteogenic (bone-forming) compartments, including increased actin levels and...

In patients with chronic kidney disease, the loss of podocytes—part of the kidney's glomerular filtration barrier—causes irreversible disease progression. So far, physicians and researchers have found no way to effectively prevent podocyte damage, loss, and deterioration leading to end-stage kidney disease. Laura Perin, Ph.D. conducted a study that is offering promising results. They fed animal models with chronic kidney disease a specialized low-salt, fasting-mimicking diet (LS-FMD) equivalent to the recommended daily intake for human patients with chronic kidney disease. The researchers found that six cycles of this diet slowed the deterioration of kidney structures and function in rodents. Crucially, it...

People who have multiple orthopedic surgeries during the same hospital stay are more likely to suffer malnutrition due to repeated or prolonged fasting, which can slow recovery and increase the risk of death, according to a study of more than 28 million patients. Because food or liquid retained in the stomach increases the risk of regurgitation and aspiration in the airway and lungs during general anesthesia and deep sedation, most patients are directed to fast for at least eight hours before surgery. "Our research determined that repeated fasting in hospitalized patients having multiple orthopedic surgeries over days or weeks increases...

To keep weight in check, it is not only important to consider what we eat, but also the times at which we eat. According to a study, there are two specific habits that are associated with a lower body mass index (BMI) in the long term: keeping a longer overnight fast and eating breakfast early. The study involved more than 7,000 volunteers aged 40-65 from the GCAT | Genomes for Life cohort, a project led by the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP). "Our results, in line with other recent studies, suggest that extending the overnight fast could help...

Researchers at Aarhus University have synthesized a molecule called LaKe that replicates the metabolic effects of exercise and fasting. This advancement allows the body to mimic the beneficial states of high lactate and ketone levels, which could transform into an innovative nutritional supplement aiding those unable to maintain rigorous exercise and diet routines, and potentially assist in treating brain-related conditions like Parkinson’s and dementia. Exercise and Fasting Benefits Mimicked by New Molecule Regular exercise and periodic fasting are widely recognized for their numerous health benefits. These activities strengthen the heart and lower blood fat levels due to the body’s natural...

What would happen if our universe was any larger or any smaller? Would life still be possible here on earth, or, in fact, anywhere in the universe?

Leptin levels, immune cell profiles improved in small studyIntermittent fasting -- defined as restricting food and drink to 500 calories a day, twice a week -- was safe and successful in a small randomized trial of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). The study met its primary outcome of reduced serum leptin levels after 12 weeks compared with controls, according to Laura Piccio, MD, PhD, of the University of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia, and co-authors. Leptin, a proinflammatory adipokine that may have a pathogenic role in MS, was lower in the intermittent fasting group (P=0.03) after adjusting for...

Father we lift up the young men of our nation to You for no matter their race, creed, color, family origin, life experiences or socioeconomic background, they need You. For those who have no hope, help them to understand that there is a glorious hope they can have in Christ Jesus. For those who feel unloved, let them know that you love them enough to have sent Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to die for them that they may have a relationship with You. For those who have no father, or an absent father, help them to know that...

Researchers say their study of 40 older adults with obesity and insulin resistance offers important clues about the potential benefits of both eating plans on brain health. The new study tested the effects of intermittent fasting on women and men at risk for cognitive impairment. The results revealed that both types of diet plans had benefits regarding decreasing insulin resistance and improving cognition, with improvements in memory and executive function with both diets, but more strongly with the intermittent fasting diet, according to Mark Mattson, Ph.D. To test the effects of the two diets on brain function biomarkers, participants in...

Periods of fasting reprogram the immune system's natural killer cells to better fight cancer, according to a study in mice. Now a team of researchers have shown for the first time that fasting can reprogram the metabolism of natural killer cells, helping them to survive in the harsh environment in and around tumors, while also improving their cancer-fighting ability. Natural killer cells, or NK cells for short, are a type of white blood cell that can kill abnormal or damaged cells, like cancer cells or cells infected with a virus. For the study, mice with cancer were denied food for...

A strict "keto-friendly" diet popular for weight loss and diabetes, depending on both the diet and individual, might not be all that friendly. A new study led by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) found that a continuous long-term ketogenic diet may induce senescence, or aged, cells in normal tissues, with effects on heart and kidney function in particular. However, an intermittent ketogenic diet, with a planned keto vacation or break, did not exhibit any pro-inflammatory effects due to aged cells, according to the research. The findings have significant clinical...

Alternate day fasting (ADF) has gained growing attention due to its dramatic effects on improving disordered metabolic parameters. However, the effects of ADF on atherosclerotic plaque formation remain inconsistent and controversial in atherosclerotic animal models. Using atherogenic mice, scientists have worked jointly and reported that ADF aggravated Western diet (WD)–induced atherosclerotic lesion formation, and they also validated that such effects were mediated by inhibiting the expression of hepatic activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) under ADF intervention. The findings suggest the potentially harmful effects when ADF intervention is applied to the population at high risk of atherosclerosis. In this study, 11-week-old...