Fasting Lowers Blood Sugar and Inflammation

In some people and when well supervised, intermittent fasting can have positive effects on health. However, this deprivation of food over a long period of the day requires a lot of willpower, and can be difficult to maintain over time.

A team of American researchers (University of South California) therefore decided to test the effects of a near-intermittent diet on mice without completely depriving the animals of food. Based on vegetable foods, it allows to ingest only 800 to 1000 calories per day.

After several experiments, it appeared that mice subjected to four-day cycles of this low-calorie diet twice a month saw their abdominal fat decrease and their bone density increase. They were also less likely to develop cancer than others, and lived longer.

In aged mice, this diet also improved their cognitive performance. “In another pilot clinical trial, three cycles of this diet decreased biomarkers of aging, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer without major adverse effects, prompting us to promote this method to extend healthy lifespan. health”, conclude the researchers in their study, relayed by Presse santé.