2024-02-14 05:01:18
pte20240214001 Research/development, medicine/wellness
According to tests by the University of Cambridge, fewer dangerous diseases occur as a result
Empty plate: Fasting can prevent serious illnesses (Photo: Rita, pixabay.com)
Cambridge/Bethesda (pte001/14.02.2024/06:00)
Fasting can prevent or at least reduce inflammation in the body, says Clare Bryant from the University of Cambridge. Temporary abstinence from food increases levels of a chemical in the blood known as arachidonic acid, which inhibits inflammation. According to the scientist, this finding might also help explain some of the positive effects of medications such as aspirin.
Alarm with dire consequences
Experts have known for some time that diet, especially when high in calories, increases the risk of diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease, which are linked to chronic inflammation in the body. Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury or infection. However, this process can also be triggered by other mechanisms, including the so-called “inflammasome”.
In a sense, it is an alarm in the cells of the human body to protect it when inflammation occurs. However, the inflammasome can inadvertently trigger inflammation because one of its functions is to destroy unwanted cells, often leading to the release of the cell’s contents into the body, where it triggers inflammation.
Eating and fasting test analyzed
The NLRP3 inflammasome plays a fatal role in many serious diseases such as obesity and arteriosclerosis, but also in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Fasting can disrupt this process and thus maintain health. To find out why, the team, involving the National Institutes of Health, examined blood samples from 21 volunteers who ate a meal containing 500 kilocalories (kcal). They then fasted for 24 hours and ate a second 500 kcal meal.
Result: The arachidonic acid level also increased during fasting, only to level off once more with the next meal. Specifically, the team was able to determine that the acid primarily inhibited NLRP3. “Everything suggests that regular fasting might help reduce chronic inflammation and the diseases that result from it. It’s definitely an attractive idea,” concludes Bryant.
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