How are fasting and weight loss related?

New research published in Cell Research investigated the effects of incorporating fasting as an eating habit. The results were better than expected. The research team led by Hoon-Ki Sung in this study sought to better understand the reactions that interventions, such as fasting, trigger at a molecular level in the body.

The experiment

The experiment consisted of exposing groups of mice to sixteen weeks of intermittent fasting. They were fed for two days, followed by one day without food.** Four months later, the mice in the fasting group weighed less than those in the control group that continued to eat the same volume of food. The lower body weight of the mice in the fasting group was not the only effect. The fasting regimen helped reduce fat accumulation by increasing brown fat (involved in energy burning and body heat production) in the mice on the high-fat diet. Their glucose and insulin systems also remained more stable. In an additional experiment, similar benefits were seen after just six weeks of intermittent fasting. In an analysis of the biological processes involved, researchers discovered that intermittent fasting attenuates an immune reaction in fat cells. It generates changes in certain genetic pathways involved in the immune system. Also in the body’s reaction to inflammation. It also triggers a type of white blood cell that is known to play a role in fighting inflammation. Known as anti-inflammatory macrophages, these cells stimulate fat cells to burn stored fat. Or lipids when generating heat. This occurs because during periods of intermittent fasting there is an increase in vascular growth factor (VEGF) which helps form blood vessels. It also activates the anti-inflammatory macrophage. Intermittent fasting without a reduction in calorie intake can be a preventive and therapeutic approach against obesity and metabolic disorders. A very interesting fact for our patients who seek to control their weight more effectively.