Previous studies suggest that fasting helps combat inflammation, prompting researchers at the University of Cambridge (UK) to further investigate this connection and how it occurs.
By analyzing blood samples from 21 volunteers who were asked to consume a 500-calorie meal, fast for 24 hours, and then eat another 500-calorie meal, the researchers identified an increase in a compound known as arachidonic acid due to fasting, according to Science Alert.
Arachidonic acid is a fat associated with inflammatory conditions.
Fasting helps combat inflammation – (Photo: SCIENCE ALERT)
Immunologist Clare Bryant at the University of Cambridge stated: “This provides a potential explanation for how changes in our diet—particularly through fasting—protect the body against inflammatory states, especially the harmful type associated with many diseases linked to a high-calorie Western diet.”
The research team conducted experiments on cultured cells in the laboratory and found that arachidonic acid reduced the activity of a protein complex known as the NLRP3 inflammasome.
Inflammasomes are mechanisms that trigger inflammation, and NLRP3 is a type of alarm that signals the immune system to respond quickly. It appears that this is the pathway through which fasting helps reduce inflammation.
This raises some intriguing connections, especially since aspirin is also known to interact with NLRP3. Scientists are questioning the role of inflammatory factors in diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Immunologist Bryant remarked: “It has become clear in recent years that a particular virus, NLRP3, is crucial in several major diseases such as obesity and atherosclerosis, as well as in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.”
“It is too early to say whether fasting could counteract diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, as the effects of arachidonic acid are only temporary. However, we will continue to add to the body of scientific literature indicating the health benefits of calorie restriction,” said Bryant.
The study has been published in the journal Cell Reports.
