Practicality of intermittent fasting in humans and its effect on oxidative stress and genes related to aging and metabolism
- PMID: 25546413
- PMCID: PMC4403246
- DOI: 10.1089/rej.2014.1624
Practicality of intermittent fasting in humans and its effect on oxidative stress and genes related to aging and metabolism
Abstract
Caloric restriction has consistently been shown to extend life span and ameliorate aging-related diseases. These effects may be due to diet-induced reactive oxygen species acting to up-regulate sirtuins and related protective pathways, which research suggests may be partially inhibited by dietary anti-oxidant supplementation. Because caloric restriction is not sustainable long term for most humans, we investigated an alternative dietary approach, intermittent fasting (IF), which is proposed to act on similar biological pathways. We hypothesized that a modified IF diet, where participants maintain overall energy balance by alternating between days of fasting (25% of normal caloric intake) and feasting (175% of normal), would increase expression of genes associated with aging and reduce oxidative stress and that these effects would be suppressed by anti-oxidant supplementation. To assess the tolerability of the diet and to explore effects on biological mechanisms related to aging and metabolism, we recruited a cohort of 24 healthy individuals in a double-crossover, double-blinded, randomized clinical trial. Study participants underwent two 3-week treatment periods-IF and IF with anti-oxidant (vitamins C and E) supplementation. We found strict adherence to study-provided diets and that participants found the diet tolerable, with no adverse clinical findings or weight change. We detected a marginal increase (2.7%) in SIRT3 expression due to the IF diet, but no change in expression of other genes or oxidative stress markers analyzed. We also found that IF decreased plasma insulin levels (1.01 μU/mL). Although our study suggests that the IF dieting paradigm is acceptable in healthy individuals, additional research is needed to further assess the potential benefits and risks.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02132091.
Figures
![<b>FIG. 1.</b>](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/4403246/bin/fig-1.gif)
![<b>FIG. 2.</b>](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/4403246/bin/fig-2.gif)
![<b>FIG. 3.</b>](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/4403246/bin/fig-3.gif)
![<b>FIG. 4.</b>](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/4403246/bin/fig-4.gif)
![<b>FIG. 5.</b>](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/4403246/bin/fig-5.gif)
![<b>FIG. 6.</b>](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/4403246/bin/fig-6.gif)
Similar articles
-
Folic acid supplementation and malaria susceptibility and severity among people taking antifolate antimalarial drugs in endemic areas.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022 Feb 1;2(2022):CD014217. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD014217. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022. PMID: 36321557 Free PMC article.
-
Intermittent fasting interventions for the treatment of overweight and obesity in adults aged 18 years and over: a systematic review protocol.JBI Database System Rev Implement Rep. 2015 Oct;13(10):60-8. doi: 10.11124/jbisrir-2015-2363. JBI Database System Rev Implement Rep. 2015. PMID: 26571283
-
'For me it's about not feeling like I'm on a diet': a thematic analysis of women's experiences of an intermittent energy restricted diet to reduce breast cancer risk.J Hum Nutr Diet. 2018 Dec;31(6):773-780. doi: 10.1111/jhn.12571. Epub 2018 Jun 21. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2018. PMID: 29926996
-
Caloric restriction and intermittent fasting: two potential diets for successful brain aging.Ageing Res Rev. 2006 Aug;5(3):332-53. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2006.04.002. Epub 2006 Aug 8. Ageing Res Rev. 2006. PMID: 16899414 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Metabolic regulation of Sirtuins upon fasting and the implication for cancer.Curr Opin Oncol. 2013 Nov;25(6):630-6. doi: 10.1097/01.cco.0000432527.49984.a3. Curr Opin Oncol. 2013. PMID: 24048020 Free PMC article. Review.
Cited by
-
The effects of intermittent fasting diet in comparison with low-calorie diet on lipid profile, glycemic status, and liver fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD): a study protocol for a randomized controlled clinical trial.BMC Nutr. 2023 Dec 8;9(1):145. doi: 10.1186/s40795-023-00794-x. BMC Nutr. 2023. PMID: 38066628 Free PMC article.
-
Reduced liver damage and fibrosis with combined SCD Probiotics and intermittent fasting in aged rat.J Cell Mol Med. 2024 Jan;28(1):e18014. doi: 10.1111/jcmm.18014. Epub 2023 Oct 28. J Cell Mol Med. 2024. PMID: 37897241 Free PMC article.
-
The Effect of Ramadan Intermittent Fasting on Food Intake, Anthropometric Indices, and Metabolic Markers among Premenopausal and Postmenopausal Women: A Cross-Sectional Study.Medicina (Kaunas). 2023 Jun 24;59(7):1191. doi: 10.3390/medicina59071191. Medicina (Kaunas). 2023. PMID: 37512003 Free PMC article.
-
A Heart-Healthy Diet for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: Where Are We Now?Vasc Health Risk Manag. 2023 Apr 21;19:237-253. doi: 10.2147/VHRM.S379874. eCollection 2023. Vasc Health Risk Manag. 2023. PMID: 37113563 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Intermittent fasting and immunomodulatory effects: A systematic review.Front Nutr. 2023 Feb 28;10:1048230. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1048230. eCollection 2023. Front Nutr. 2023. PMID: 36925956 Free PMC article.
References
-
- Ristow M, Zarse K. How increased oxidative stress promotes longevity and metabolic health: The concept of mitochondrial hormesis (mitohormesis). Exp Gerontol 2010;45:410–418 - PubMed
-
- Ristow M, Schmeisser S. Extending life span by increasing oxidative stress. Free Radic Biol Med 2011;51:327–336 - PubMed
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
Associated data
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical
Miscellaneous