Fasting produces benefits to health that are meaningful in comparison to the cost of this intervention - it is free, and the health benefits are reliable and repeatable. When it comes to improved metabolism and long-term health benefits, no medical technology is yet established to do better than the practice of intermittent fasting or calorie restriction in people without severe medical conditions. Senolytic therapies should hopefully greatly improve on this performance in older individuals, but that data has yet to emerge. As researchers point out here, fasting is not usually rigorously applied in medical practice. There are groups working on approaches, for example the fasting mimicking diet that is intended to set a standard for how to apply reduced calorie intake as a therapy. But more generally, much work is left to accomplish if fasting is to be integrated into medical practice in the same way as pharmacological approaches have been.
Recently, fasting has become one of the most compelling topics of the Nutrition Era. In the last five years, interest has passed from the Mediterranean to the Ketogenic Era, including the concept of caloric restriction and 'only water' fasting. Recently, research in animal models and humans has highlighted the potential health-promoting physiological responses to fasting including ketogenesis, hormone modulation, reduced oxidative stress and inflammation, and increased stress resistance, lipolysis, and autophagy. Although the panorama of evidence on fasting and caloric restriction is wide, there is a lack of a correct and safe fasting protocol to guide nutritionists and physicians in its application.
The act of fasting gained an increased focus in the scientific panorama thanks to several pieces of research developed around 30 years ago. The first studies referred to minor organisms and not directly to humans, because fasting and caloric restriction were considered tough interventions, combined with health risks if not adequately structured. Initially, studies on yeasts and murine models brought remarkably interesting results, later to be replicated in humans.
Some people, to be committed to their health, try adopting new habits as nutritional styles change. Nowadays, people are motivated by information from various sources: media, social networks, doctors, gyms, health coaches, and, simply, word of mouth and rumor. The accumulated information is not in line with scientific discoveries and safety protocols. Mere abstinence from food cannot result in efficacy if it is not well contextualized within a structured nutritional intervention. Fasting improves blood biomarkers for metabolic health, stress resistance, and suppresses inflammation. For example, most Westerners emulate their idols, picking up a fasting model that is supposed to help with losing and sustaining weight, keeping mentally sharp, and promoting longevity. Most of the time they do not experience the suggested benefits because of an unbalanced diet.
In the light of the above, the goal of our paper is to examine the context in which fasting could be practiced, and the most important discoveries in fasting used in pathological conditions such as chronic degenerative diseases. Moreover, it aims to offer to clinical experts in nutrition a specific guide to be consulted and personalized for each patient.
Link: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13051570
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