scholarly journals Caloric Intake and its Effect on Aging and Cognitive Slowing: A Review of the Research into Intermittent Fasting

Author(s):  
Lindsay Talemal
GeroScience ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoko O. Henderson ◽  
Nazmin Bithi ◽  
Christopher Link ◽  
Jie Yang ◽  
Rebecca Schugar ◽  
...  

AbstractGlobal average life expectancy continues to rise. As aging increases the likelihood of frailty, which encompasses metabolic, musculoskeletal, and cognitive deficits, there is a need for effective anti-aging treatments. It is well established in model organisms that dietary restriction (DR), such as caloric restriction or protein restriction, enhances health and lifespan. However, DR is not widely implemented in the clinic due to patient compliance and its lack of mechanistic underpinnings. Thus, the present study tested the effects of a somewhat more clinically applicable and adoptable DR regimen, every-other-day (EOD) intermittent fasting, on frailty in 20-month-old male and female C57BL/6 mice. Frailty was determined by a series of metabolic, musculoskeletal, and cognitive tasks performed prior to and toward the end of the 2.5-month dietary intervention. Late-life EOD fasting attenuated overall energy intake, hypothalamic inflammatory gene expression, and frailty in males. However, it failed to reduce overall caloric intake and had a little positive effect in females. Given that the selected benefits of DR are dependent on augmented production of the gasotransmitter hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and that renal H2S production declines with age, we tested the effects of EOD fasting on renal H2S production capacity and its connection to frailty in males. EOD fasting boosted renal H2S production, which positively correlated with improvements in multiple components of frailty tasks. Therefore, late-life initiated EOD fasting is sufficient to reduce aging-related frailty, at least in males, and suggests that renal H2S production capacity may modulate the effects of late-life EOD fasting on frailty.


Author(s):  
Jip Gudden ◽  
Alejandro Arias Vasquez ◽  
Mirjam Bloemendaal

The importance of diet and the gut-brain axis for brain health and cognitive function is increasingly acknowledged. Dietary interventions are tested for their potential to prevent and/or treat brain disorders. Intermittent fasting (IF), the abstinence or strong limitation of calories for 12 to 48 hours, alternated with periods of regular food intake, has shown promising results on neurobiological health in animal models. In this review article, we discuss the potential benefits of IF on cognitive function and the possible effects on the prevention and progress of brain-related disorders in animals and humans. We do so by summarizing the effects of IF which - through metabolic, cellular and circadian mechanisms - lead to anatomical and functional changes in the brain. Our review shows that there is no clear evidence of a positive short-term effect of IF on cognition in healthy subjects. Clinical studies show benefits of IF for epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis on disease symptoms and progress. Findings from animal studies show mechanisms by which Parkinson’s disease, ischaemic stroke, autism spectrum disorder and mood- and anxiety disorders could benefit from IF. Future research should disentangle whether positive effects of IF hold true regardless of age or the presence of obesity. Also, variations in fasting patterns, total caloric intake and intake of specific nutrients may be relevant components of IF success. Longitudinal studies and Randomized Clinical Trials (RCTs) will provide a window into the long-term effects of IF on the development and progress of brain-related diseases.


ISRN Obesity ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oren Froy

Obesity has become a serious public health problem and a major risk factor for the development of illnesses, such as insulin resistance and hypertension. Attempts to understand the causes of obesity and develop new therapeutic strategies have mostly focused on caloric intake and energy expenditure. Recent studies have shown that the circadian clock controls energy homeostasis by regulating the circadian expression and/or activity of enzymes, hormones, and transport systems involved in metabolism. Moreover, disruption of circadian rhythms leads to obesity and metabolic disorders. Therefore, it is plausible that resetting of the circadian clock can be used as a new approach to attenuate obesity. Feeding regimens, such as restricted feeding (RF), calorie restriction (CR), and intermittent fasting (IF), provide a time cue and reset the circadian clock and lead to better health. In contrast, high-fat (HF) diet leads to disrupted circadian expression of metabolic factors and obesity. This paper focuses on circadian rhythms and their link to obesity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 10-13
Author(s):  
Connor A. Hernon ◽  
Abduallah Elsayed ◽  
Raphael M. Vicente ◽  
Ariane Zamarioli ◽  
Melissa A. Kacena ◽  
...  

This mini-review summarizes the available information regarding the impact of caloric restriction (CR) and/or intermittent fasting (IF) on bone health. CR and IF are dietary interventions used in rehabilitative healthcare for augmenting weight loss and also proposed for recovery of conditions such as stroke and heart failure. CR restricts the total number of calories rather than different food groups or periods of eating. In contrast, IF severely restricts caloric intake for a period of time followed by a period of ad libitum intake. Here, we discuss the available information regarding the impact of these rehabilitation diets on bone metabolism, highlighting areas of consistency and discrepancy and suggesting future areas of study to advance the understanding of CR and/or IF on bone health.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luisa Torres ◽  
Joy L Lee ◽  
Seho Park ◽  
R Christian Di Lorenzo ◽  
Jonathan P Branam ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Intermittent Fasting (IF) is an increasingly popular approach to dietary control that focuses on the timing of eating rather than the quantity and content of caloric intake. IF practitioners typically seek to improve their weight and other health factors. Millions of practitioners have turned to purpose-built mobile applications to help them track and adhere to their fasts and monitor changes in their weight and other biometrics. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to quantify user retention, fasting patterns, and weight loss by users of two commonly used IF mobile apps. We aimed to describe starting BMI, amount of fasting, frequency of weight tracking, and other demographics as correlates of retention and weight change. METHODS We assembled height, weight, fasting and demographic data for adult users (age 18-100yo) of the LIFE Fasting Tracker and LIFE Extend apps from 2018-2020. Retention up to 52 weeks was quantified based on recorded fasts and correlated with user demographics. Users who provided height and at least two weights and whose first fast and weight records were contemporaneous were included in the weight loss analysis. Fasting was quantified as Extended Fasting Hours (hours beyond 12 in a fast) averaged per Day (EFH/Day). RESULTS 792,692 users were followed for retention based on 26 million recorded fasts. 132,775 (16.7%) of users were retained at 13 weeks, 54,881 (6.9%) at 26 weeks, and 16,478 (2.1%) at 52 weeks, allowing 4 consecutive weeks of inactivity. Weight loss in the qualifying cohort (n=161,346) was strongly correlated with starting BMI and EFH/Day. Users with BMI ≥ 40 lost 11.3% of their starting weight by 52 weeks versus a slight weight gain on average for users with starting BMI <23. Additionally, EFH/Day was an approximately linear predictor of weight loss for a given time point and starting BMI. By week 26, users lost over 1% of their starting weight per EFH/Day on average. Furthermore, users who recorded their weight monthly lost considerably more weight than those who did not (eg, 8.5% vs 3.7% weight loss at week 13 for users with BMI ≥25). By 26 weeks, 69.2% (2985/4313) of users with starting BMI ≥ 25 who recorded monthly weights lost at least 5% of their starting weight, and 39.9% (1722/4313) lost at least 10% body weight. CONCLUSIONS Intermittent Fasting with the LIFE mobile apps appears to be a sustainable approach to weight reduction in the overweight and obese population. Healthy weight and underweight individuals do not lose much weight on average, even with extensive fasting. Obese users lose substantial weight over time, with more weight loss in those who fast more and who record their weight more frequently.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mo'ez Al-Islam Ezzat Faris ◽  
Rand Nidal Hussein ◽  
Ref'at Ahmad Al-Kurd ◽  
Mohammed Ahmed Al-Fararjeh ◽  
Yasser Khalil Bustanji ◽  
...  

Fasting and caloric restriction have been associated with reduced incidence of chronic diseases and cancers. These effects have been attributed to reduced oxidative stress. Since Ramadan intermittent fasting (RIF) has been associated with reduced caloric intake, it was hypothesized that RIF would alleviate oxidative stress in healthy volunteers. The study was designed to elucidate the impact of RIF on oxidative stress measured by 15-F2t-Isoprostane (15FIP). Fifty healthy subjects (23 men and 27 women) who intended to fast Ramadan were recruited. Urine and serum sampling and anthropometric and dietary assessments were conducted one week before Ramadan (T0), at the end of the third week of Ramadan (T1), and one month after Ramadan (T2). Biochemical measurements included urinary 15FIP, creatinine, and hematological indices. Results revealed that the urinary level of 15FIP measured at T0 was normal, while they showed a significantly (P<0.05) higher level when measured at T1 concomitant with a significant (P<0.05) increase in the body weight and total body fat percent. In conclusion, results suggest that increased body weight is associated with increased lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress, and the impact of RIF on oxidative stress is mediated by the changes in body weight at the end of the month.


2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 157-164
Author(s):  
Víctor Toro Román ◽  
Diego Muñoz Marín ◽  
Jesús Siquier Coll ◽  
Ignacio Bartolomé Sánchez ◽  
Julio Montero Arroyo ◽  
...  

El ayuno intermitente es una estrategia nutricional de creciente interés para el control del peso y mejora de la salud metabólica. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar el efecto de un protocolo de ayuno intermitente sobre la composición corporal, perfil lipídico y los biomarcadores de riesgo cardiovascular en estudiantes universitarios. En este estudio experimental participaron 30 sujetos varones y fueron divididos aleatoriamente en dos grupos, 15 sujetos constituían el grupo experimental (GE) (edad: 20,83±0,98 años) y 15 el grupo control (GC) (edad: 23,71±5,55 años). El GE realizó un protocolo de ayuno 16/8, dieciséis horas de ayuno y ocho horas de ingesta calórica sin limitaciones, dos días consecutivos a la semana durante cinco semanas. Se evaluó la composición corporal, la ingesta calórica, el perfil lipídico y los biomarcadores del riesgo cardiovascular al inicio, mitad y final del protocolo. Se observaron descensos significativos en el GE en pliegues cutáneos, perímetro cintura, porcentaje de grasa, perfil lipídico y biomarcadores del riesgo cardiovascular en comparación con GC (p<0,05). Se encontraron incrementos significativos en la ingesta de colesterol y ácidos grasos poliinsaturados en el GE al final del estudio (p<0,05). Se observaron descensos en el colesterol total, triglicéridos, lipoproteínas de baja densidad y biomarcadores del riesgo cardiovascular a lo largo del protocolo en el GE (p<0,05). Un protocolo de ayuno intermitente 16/8, dos días consecutivos por semana, durante cinco semanas, parece efectivo para mejorar parámetros de composición corporal y perfil lipídico, así como para mejorar los biomarcadores relacionados con el riesgo cardiovascular. Intermittent fasting is a nutritional strategy of high interest in weight control and improvement of metabolic health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of an intermittent fasting protocol on body composition, lipid profile and biomarkers of cardiovascular risk in university students. In this experimental study thirty male subjects participated and were randomly divided into two groups; fifteen subjects constituted the experimental group (GE) (age: 20.83 ± 0.98 years) and fifteen the control group (GC) (age: 23.71 ± 5.55 years). The GE performed a fasting protocol 16/8, sixteen hours of fasting and eight hours of caloric intake without limitations, two consecutive days per week for five weeks. Body composition, calorie intake, lipid profile and biomarkers of cardiovascular risk were evaluated at the beginning, middle and at the end of the protocol. Significant decreases were found in GE in skinfolds, waist perimeter, % fat, lipid profile and biomarkers of cardiovascular risk as compared to GC (p <0.05). There were significant increases in the intake of cholesterol and polyunsaturated fatty acids in the GE at the end of the study (p <0.05). There were decreases in total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoproteins, and biomarkers of cardiovascular risk throughout the study in GE (p<0.05). An intermittent fasting protocol 16/8, two consecutive days per week, for five weeks, seems effective to improve parameters of body composition and lipid profile, as well as to improving biomarkers related to cardiovascular risk


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 116-116
Author(s):  
Rafael de Cabo

Abstract Classic implementation of calorie restriction (CR) in laboratory animals increases health and longevity in most model organisms. Traditionally, chronic CR is the reduction of daily energy intake without malnutrition. Recently, paradigms have emerged that recapitulate some of the beneficial aspects of this intervention, avoiding some of its challenges. The length of daily fasting length and periodicity have emerged as potential drivers behind CR’s beneficial health effects. Numerous strategies and eating patterns, including prolonged periods of fasting, have been successfully developed to mimic many of CR’s benefits without its austerity. These new feeding protocols range from short mealtimes designed to interact with our circadian system (daily time-restricted feeding) to more extended fasting regimens known as intermittent fasting. We will discuss the current status of knowledge on different strategies to reap the benefits of CR on metabolic health in rodent models and humans without the rigor of chronic reductions in caloric intake.


Endocrinology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 155 (7) ◽  
pp. 2456-2466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Chausse ◽  
Carina Solon ◽  
Camille C. Caldeira da Silva ◽  
Ivan G. Masselli dos Reis ◽  
Fúlvia B. Manchado-Gobatto ◽  
...  

Intermittent fasting (IF) is an often-used intervention to decrease body mass. In male Sprague-Dawley rats, 24 hour cycles of IF result in light caloric restriction, reduced body mass gain, and significant decreases in the efficiency of energy conversion. Here, we study the metabolic effects of IF in order to uncover mechanisms involved in this lower energy conversion efficiency. After 3 weeks, IF animals displayed overeating during fed periods and lower body mass, accompanied by alterations in energy-related tissue mass. The lower efficiency of energy use was not due to uncoupling of muscle mitochondria. Enhanced lipid oxidation was observed during fasting days, whereas fed days were accompanied by higher metabolic rates. Furthermore, an increased expression of orexigenic neurotransmitters AGRP and NPY in the hypothalamus of IF animals was found, even on feeding days, which could explain the overeating pattern. Together, these effects provide a mechanistic explanation for the lower efficiency of energy conversion observed. Overall, we find that IF promotes changes in hypothalamic function that explain differences in body mass and caloric intake.


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