Water Fasting: Inflammation & Stress Risks
- A small trial indicates that prolonged water-only fasting, despite resulting in weight loss, can increase inflammation and bodily stress.
- Researchers analyzed the plasma proteome of 20 volunteers,averaging 52 years old with a mean body mass index of 28.8,undergoing a medically supervised water-only fast.
- The study revealed that prolonged fasting led to an average weight loss of 7.7% and a notable increase in serum beta-hydroxybutyrate,confirming participant adherence.
contrary to popular belief, a recent study reveals that water-only fasting could surprisingly increase inflammation. While participants experienced weight loss and metabolic changes, the research indicates a significant rise in inflammatory markers during prolonged fasting periods. This challenges previous assumptions, suggesting that the body may experience stress despite the absence of caloric intake.Researchers examined the proteomic responses of volunteers, uncovering both the positives like reduced amyloid proteins and the negatives, such as elevated inflammatory proteins. News Directory 3 brings you this critical health update on a practice growing in popularity. This report highlights the importance of understanding the nuanced effects of water fasting.discover what’s next for your health journey.
Water-Only Fasting may Increase Inflammation, Study Finds
A small trial indicates that prolonged water-only fasting, despite resulting in weight loss, can increase inflammation and bodily stress. The research examined the biological impacts of extended fasting, defined as abstaining from energy intake for at least four consecutive days, a practice some adopt for perceived health benefits.
Researchers analyzed the plasma proteome of 20 volunteers,averaging 52 years old with a mean body mass index of 28.8,undergoing a medically supervised water-only fast. The fasting period averaged 9.8 days, followed by a guided refeeding phase lasting approximately 5.3 days. A further retrospective analysis of 1,422 individuals who underwent modified fasting, averaging 8.2 days, corroborated the initial findings regarding inflammatory responses.
The study revealed that prolonged fasting led to an average weight loss of 7.7% and a notable increase in serum beta-hydroxybutyrate,confirming participant adherence. Proteomic analysis indicated several adaptations,including the preservation of skeletal muscle and bone,enhanced lysosomal biogenesis,increased lipid metabolism,and reduced amyloid fiber formation. Furthermore, the intervention significantly decreased circulating beta-amyloid proteins Aβ40 and Aβ42, key components of brain amyloid plaques. Though, the dietary intervention also triggered an acute inflammatory response.
Plasma levels of C-reactive protein, hepcidin, midkine, and interleukin-8, among other markers, increased significantly. This inflammatory response was also observed in the modified-fasting analysis, suggesting a consistent effect across different fasting protocols. The findings challenge the assumption that prolonged fasting invariably reduces inflammation.
“Our hypothesis was that prolonged water fasting would reduce inflammation in the body,” said Dr. Luigi fontana, of the University of Sydney. “Though,we found the opposite was true — that prolonged fasting put stress on the body and increased the number of proinflammatory proteins in the blood,potentially increasing the risk of health issues for people with existing heart and vascular conditions.”
What’s next
Further research is needed to understand the long-term effects of prolonged fasting and its impact on individuals with pre-existing health conditions. The study’s limitations, including its small sample size and lack of a control group, call for more extensive investigations to validate these findings.