Clinical Research Achievements

Fasting May Rewire the Brain, Better than Diet ...Through the Microbiome #MySummary A 2025 RCT published in Gut randomized 96 adults with obesity into three dietary groups: Mediterranean diet, Alternate Day Fasting (ADF), and Ketogenic diet. All groups were assessed for weight loss, cognitive performance, microbiome composition, and inflammation markers, before and after intervention. 🔹While both ADF and Keto produced significant weight loss, cognitive improvement was observed almost exclusively in the ADF group, alongside reduced neuroinflammation. 🔹Why? When the team performed fecal transplants from ADF participants into mice, the cognitive benefits transferred. The improvement was microbiome-dependent, confirmed in vivo. 🔹Mechanism: ADF-induced microbiota shifts activated microglial phagocytic capacity and suppressed neuroinflammation via the gut-brain axis. #MyThoughts What I found most about this study is not that fasting beat keto for brain health, I know because several studies shows that already, but it's HOW it did it. Not through direct metabolic action. Through the gut. The microbiome was the parh. This is exactly the kind of causal evidence the field need...not just correlation between microbiome composition and cognition... This also raises an uncomfortable question for conventional obesity medicine: if two diets produce similar weight loss but radically different brain outcomes, and if those brain outcomes are microbiome-mediated, are we optimizing for the right endpoint? Happy to hear your thoughts and stay POSITIVE! #MyInspiration "The brain is the last frontier, but the gut may be the key that opens it." #Microbiome #Obesity #GutBrainAxis #MicrobiomeMavericks #AlternateDayFasting #Cognition #SwipeBiome #Neuroscience #GutHealth #ClinicalTrial

Study shows fasting protects against strokes and heart attacks by reducing blood clot formation. What and *when* you eat are both critically important. New research has uncovered a promising link between intermittent fasting and reduced blood clot risk, offering potential benefits for people with cardiovascular concerns. The study, published in Life Metabolism, found that intermittent fasting inhibits platelet activation—a key trigger in clot formation—by boosting levels of indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), a metabolite produced by gut bacteria. Using blood samples from 160 coronary artery disease patients and mouse models, researchers showed that participants who followed a 10-day intermittent fasting routine had higher levels of IPA and a marked reduction in platelet aggregation. These findings suggest that the gut microbiome plays a central role in how fasting influences the body’s natural clotting mechanisms. The mice in the study also experienced reduced heart and brain damage after simulated heart attacks and strokes, further highlighting the protective potential of fasting. IPA appeared to mimic the effects of clopidogrel, a common antithrombotic medication, and even worked synergistically when both were combined. The researchers found that gut bacteria—specifically Clostridium sporogenes—were essential for producing IPA, indicating a powerful link between gut health and cardiovascular protection. While more research is needed to confirm long-term benefits and broader applicability, experts say intermittent fasting could eventually be integrated as a lifestyle-based therapy alongside traditional medications for reducing heart attack and stroke risk. source Zhiyong Qi, Luning Zhou, Shimo Dai, Peng Zhang, Haoxuan Zhong, Wenxuan Zhou, Xin Zhao, Huajie Xu, Gang Zhao, Hongyi Wu, Junbo Ge, Intermittent fasting inhibits platelet activation and thrombosis through the intestinal metabolite indole-3-propionate, Life Metabolism, Volume 4, Issue 2, April 2025,

The benefits of fasting on cellular aging. Dr.Basma el Homasany Fasting leads to wide alterations in growth factors and in metabolite levels, this decreases the molecular changes on a cellular level that happen in response to aging. During fasting in healthy individuals, as glucose levels fall in the first few hours of fasting, insulin secretion is suppressed (insulin resistance and inflammation are the whole mark of ageing). What Happens When You Fast? *Growth hormone spikes, burning fat, repairing cells, and slowing aging. *The body starts autophagy, removing damaged cells and recycling proteins. *The cells switch from sugar-burning to fat-burning. *Stem cells activate repairing mode. *The immune system resets, getting rid of weak or damaged cells. Additionally, there are whole new branch of research based on gut microbiome byproducts and aging. During fasting, certain beneficial gut bacteria may become more prevalent, producing compounds that influence brain activity related to food intake and impulse control and others were able to insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. The bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain is another important component, where altering the gut environment through fasting can lead to changes in brain function, potentially affecting eating behaviors and decision-making processes related to diet. Thus, fasting offers multiple benefits, including weight loss, improved metabolic health, enhanced brain function, and potential longevity, by altering eating patterns to incorporate regular periods of fasting. A recent study from John.Hopkins included 40 older adults with obesity and insulin resistance who were randomly assigned to either an intermittent fasting diet or a standard healthy diet. The results were so interesting; the intermittent fasting diet group showed decreased insulin resistance and improved cognition, with improvements in memory and executive function. Scientifically, the development of Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia is linked to insulin resistance, people with obesity and insulin resistance are at more risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease than people with normal metabolism. Finally, Remember Balance is the key when breaking the fast ✨✨Low glycemic index diets can improve HbA1C levels in persons with type 2 diabetes. Focus on nutrient dense whole foods which can provide vitamins, minerals, proteins and limit foods with high added sugars. Note: consult your doctor before attempting fasting and anyone suffering from medical conditions. References: Why eating less slows ageing: this molecule is key Brain responses to intermittent fasting and the healthy living diet in older adults: Cell Metabolism https://lnkd.in/efKM67kj Lithocholic acid phenocopies anti-ageing effects of calorie restriction | Nature #fasting #immunity #linkedin #Alzheimer’s #dementia #disease #trending #insulin #longevity #ageing #lifestyle #management

New study on fasting leads to discovery on how to treat pancreatic cancer with combinations of ketogenic diet and pharmaceuticals. New study in Nature Portfolio uncovers some fascinating details. It’s worth a minute of your attention. Fasting has long been known to bring various health benefits, but how exactly does it work at the cellular level to remodel metabolism? The study found that while overall protein production in liver cells drops during fasting, eIF4E gets phosphorylated when we fast and becomes P-eIF4E. P-eIF4E is crucial for breaking down fats into ketone bodies. It’s like flipping a switch. So, how does fasting trigger this process? Fatty acids, which increase during fasting, kickstart a chain reaction that ultimately activates P-eIF4E. This chain reaction involves AMPK, a key energy sensor in cells, and MNK, another protein that helps in this cascade. Interestingly, certain cancers can use ketone bodies as a fuel source. The study showed that blocking P-eIF4E with a drug (eFT508) can slow the growth of pancreatic tumors in mice on a ketogenic diet. This suggests that combining a drug which blocks eIF4E with a ketogenic diet could be a way to treat pancreatic cancers, which are major killers difficult to treat, this is big! Link to the study: https://lnkd.in/dST7kvKW

Prolonged Water-Only Fasting: Applying Scientific Rigor to a Field Dominated by Hype Prolonged fasting is often discussed as a metabolic and longevity intervention, yet high-quality human data remain limited. In our new paper, published in Molecular Metabolism, we examined the systemic effects of medically supervised, water-only prolonged fasting followed by controlled refeeding, using high-dimensional plasma proteomics (Somascan). 📄 https://lnkd.in/gYCAmW74 Key findings • Prolonged fasting induced expected metabolic adaptations, including sustained ketosis and significant weight loss. • Proteomic analyses showed activation of pathways involved in lipid metabolism, lysosomal biogenesis, and signals consistent with preservation of skeletal muscle and bone. • We observed a significant reduction in circulating amyloid-β proteins (Aβ40 and Aβ42) — a novel and particularly intriguing finding. • At the same time, fasting triggered an acute systemic inflammatory response, with increased CRP, inflammatory mediators, platelet activation, and engagement of coagulation and complement pathways. The biological/adaptive rationale for this response remains unclear and warrants further study. • These inflammatory signals were also supported by an independent retrospective cohort. Clinically, these data underscore an important nuance: while prolonged fasting may activate potentially beneficial metabolic programs, it can also induce biological stress responses that may have cardiometabolic implications, particularly in susceptible individuals. From a translational perspective, this strengthens the case for: – careful patient selection – medical supervision – and more data on long-term outcomes and repeated fasting cycles I’m also excited to share what comes next: we have just completed a randomized crossover trial of prolonged 3-day fasting with much deeper phenotyping, including advanced plasma and cellular proteomics and direct measures of autophagy flux. Data suggest that the refeeding phase after fasting is crucial to maximise beneficial effect of fasting. To our knowledge, this represents the most comprehensive phenotypic characterization of prolonged fasting in humans to date. We’ll be sharing these results soon. Fasting is a powerful physiological intervention — not a benign one — and its risks and benefits should be evaluated with the same rigor we apply to pharmacological therapies. #ClinicalResearch #Metabolism #Fasting #Inflammation #CardiometabolicHealth #TranslationalScience

As a medical school professor, I have been following the fasting-cancer connection for years. A major new review just connected the dots -- and the evidence is now overwhelming. Published in the World Journal of Clinical Oncology, the review shows intermittent fasting fights cancer through at least 7 distinct mechanisms: - Suppresses insulin/IGF-1 signaling that fuels tumor growth - Reverses the Warburg effect (cancer's preferred energy pathway) - Boosts CD8+ killer T cells and NK cell activity - Reduces DNA damage and oxidative stress - Activates autophagy to clear precancerous cells - Reshapes gut microbiome toward anti-inflammatory species - Activates sirtuins that silence oncogenes Breast cancer patients who fasted 18 hours around chemotherapy avoided the insulin spikes that can paradoxically fuel tumor progression. This is metabolic dysfunction as the root of cancer. Fix the metabolism, and the body's own defenses reactivate. Full breakdown coming on the Health Longevity Secrets podcast. Source: https://lnkd.in/griCUzfG #IntermittentFasting #Cancer #MetabolicHealth #Autophagy #Longevity

Fasting does not magically regenerate your body overnight. What it does do is shift your system into a repair-focused state. When nutrients are scarce, the body turns up autophagy: the process where damaged/dysfunctional cellular components are broken down and recycled. The stem cell data comes from well-controlled animal research. In mice, prolonged fasting cycles consistently reduce damaged immune cells and activate stem cell driven regeneration during refeeding. While this does not map to a precise hour threshold in humans, it clearly shows the regenerative potential of fasting under the right conditions. What we know from human data: ✔️ Fasting improves insulin sensitivity and metabolic flexibility ✔️ Inflammatory markers tend to decrease with consistent fasting patterns ✔️ Cellular stress resistance increases through pathways like AMPK and mTOR suppression ✔️ Brain signaling factors like BDNF can increase, supporting learning and resilience What is still limited or context-dependent: 👉 Precise fasting durations that trigger stem cell regeneration in humans 👉 Claims that longer is always better 👉 Using fasting as a stand-alone solution instead of a tool Sleep, protein intake, training load, stress levels, and micronutrient status all change how fasting feels and how well it works. For some people, shorter daily fasts improve energy and blood sugar. For others, aggressive fasts just add stress. A more grounded way to approach fasting: ✔️ Start with time-restricted eating around 14-16 hours ✔️ Pair fasting with adequate protein and minerals during feeding windows ✔️ Use longer fasts sparingly and intentionally, not as a default ✔️ Pay attention to recovery, sleep, mood, and training output Fasting is not a detox. It is a stressor that can be beneficial when the system can recover from it.

Scientists have known for many years that caloric restriction prevents aging in a number of animals, and likely humans too (by eating 40% less than full). But fasting is hard because food is delicious, and outcomes like reduced muscle mass and bone density make it even challenging as we get older. Two recent studies in Nature indicate that a molecule produced by gut bacteria during digestion might unlock some of the health benefits of fasting without the actual fasting. I’ve written about this research and what it means for how we age in my latest column for Hindustan Times but here's the upshot-- Scientists found that a compound called lithocholic acid (LCA), produced by our gut bacteria, might offer the benefits of caloric restriction without actually having to restrict calories. The research team found that when they gave LCA to older mice, the results were remarkable: improved muscle strength, better metabolism, and enhanced tissue repair without the downsides of traditional fasting like muscle loss and constant hunger. LCA works by binding to TULP3, activating cellular repair and energy processes linked to anti-aging. Key takeaways: 1. Our gut bacteria play a crucial role in healthy aging. 2. The benefits of fasting might be accessible without severe dietary restrictions. 3. The journey from basic science to practical treatments for people take times, but the findings are highly encouraging. (Personal opinion, column paywalled) https://lnkd.in/ewd7SeeR

"Run on empty and you'll burn fat like a machine." True. You'll also shed ~13% of your VO₂ max and half your muscle glycogen in a week. That paradox sits at the center of our new deep-dive on fasting, ketones, and mitochondrial peptides for endurance — and why the honest answer to "does fasting make you faster?" is almost always: it depends on who's asking. A few things that survive peer review: → Ramadan-style fasting lowers VO₂ max; daytime time-restricted eating tends to raise it. Same word, opposite effects. → "Train low" sharpens mitochondrial signaling — yet Louise Burke's elite race walkers got better fat metabolism AND slower race times on a ketogenic diet. → Ketone esters reliably change your metabolism. They rarely change your finish time. → MOTS-c, the "exercise in a vial" peptide, flips the same AMPK switches as training — a promising amplifier, not a shortcut. The thread connecting all of it? Your genome. Two people run the same protocol and get different results — which is why the future here is genomic baselines, continuous sensors, and AI that predicts YOUR response before you commit a training block. Full article — 24 citations, zero hype: https://lnkd.in/gVZjeMsz Featuring the work of Louise Burke, John Hawley, Satchidananda Panda, Courtney Peterson, Dominic D'Agostino, and Changhan David Lee — plus tools from The Genomics Company, WHOOP ŌURA, and Abbott. Coaches and clinicians: amplifier or shortcut? Curious where you land. 👇 #Longevity #Healthspan #PeptideTherapy #Peptides #SportsScience #PrecisionMedicine #MetabolicHealth #IntermittentFasting #Biohacking