Research Context : Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver condition, leading to chronic hepatitis and liver cancer. This disease often stems from obesity and is rapidly increasing in both developed and developing countries. A team of scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the University of Tübingen conducted a study on mice to see if intermittent fasting following a 5:2 regimen could prevent the progression of this disease.
Study Process:The study involved two groups of mice, both fed a high-sugar and high-fat diet, similar to a typical Western diet. One group had ad libitum access to food throughout the study, while the other followed a 5:2 intermittent fasting regimen, fasting for two days each week but eating freely on other days. After eight months, researchers compared weight, liver inflammation, and liver damage indicators between the two groups.
Study Findings: Results showed that mice on the 5:2 intermittent fasting regimen did not gain weight and had fewer signs of fatty liver disease, with lower biomarkers indicating less liver damage compared to the free-eating group. The anti-inflammatory effects in the liver of fasting mice were independent of calorie intake but related to the fasting cycle and duration. Fasting for 24 hours was more effective than 12 hours, and a 5:2 diet was more effective than a 6:1 regimen. Researchers also found that two liver cell proteins, transcription factor PPARα and enzyme PCK1, play a crucial role in protecting the liver from chronic inflammation and fat accumulation. When these proteins were disabled, the protective effect of fasting was lost. Testing with the drug pemafibrate, which mimics PPARα’s effects, only partially replicated the fasting benefits, indicating more research is needed on drugs that can fully mimic the effects of fasting.
Implications of the Study: This study suggests that the 5:2 intermittent fasting regimen can prevent chronic hepatitis and liver cancer and improve existing liver inflammation conditions. Mice with chronic hepatitis that followed the 5:2 fasting regimen showed better liver health outcomes than non-fasting mice, including better blood markers, less liver fat, less inflammation, and reduced liver cancer incidence. These findings open significant potential for applying intermittent fasting as a treatment and prevention method for chronic liver diseases and liver cancer in humans. However, further human studies are needed to confirm these results and determine if intermittent fasting can protect against chronic hepatitis as in the mouse model.
Study Source:Suchira Gallage, Adnan Ali, Jose Efren Barragan Avila, Nogayhan Seymen, Pierluigi Ramadori, Vera Joerke, Laimdota Zizmare, David Aicher, Indresh K. Gopalsamy, Winnie Fong, Jan Kosla, Enrico Focaccia, Xin Li, Suhail Yousuf, Tjeerd Sijmonsma, Mohammad Rahbari, Katharina S. Kommoss, Adrian Billeter, Sandra Prokosch, Ulrike Rothermel, Florian Mueller, Jenny Hetzer, Danijela Heide, Benjamin Schinkel, Tim Machauer, Bernd Pichler, Nisar P. Malek, Thomas Longerich, Susanne Roth, Adam J. Rose, Johannes Schwenck, Christoph Trautwein, Mohammad M. Karimi, Mathias Heikenwalder. “A 5:2 intermittent fasting regimen ameliorates NASH and fibrosis and blunts HCC development via hepatic PPARα and PCK1.” Cell Metabolism, 2024; DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2024.04.015.
#IntermittentFasting #LiverHealth #ChronicHepatitis #LiverCancer #HealthResearch #5to2Diet #FattyLiverDisease #MedicalScience #HealthTips #PreventiveHealth
intermittent fasting five two could be a GameChanger in the fight against liver disease a study by German scientists reveals its potential to Halt the progression of conditions like chronic hepatitis and liver cancer mice on the five two fasting regimen avoided weight gain and liver damage showing fewer signs of fatty liver disease crucial proteins Pera and pck1 were identified as key to the protective effects of fasting against liver inflammation and fat accumulation these promising results suggest intermittent fasting might prevent and improve chronic liver conditions in humans while the study paves the way for new treatments further research is essential to confirm these benefits in human subjects