Can Intermittent Fasting Address Obesity-Related Inflammation?

In a recent study published in The forefront of nutrition science Journal, researchers examined the effects of intermittent fasting on inflammatory markers in individuals with obesity.

Chronic low-grade inflammation is associated with obesity. Obese individuals have significantly higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in their bloodstream compared to obese individuals. 2 to 3 times higher. normal weight person. White adipocytes produce inflammatory cytokines and chemoattractant molecules under metabolic stress to activate and recruit immune cells. Dietary restriction for weight loss is important in reducing chronic inflammation and expression of pro-inflammatory genes. Intermittent fasting has become a popular weight loss regimen in recent years.

study: Effects of intermittent fasting on circulatory inflammatory markers in obesity: a review of human trials.Image Credit: Cozine / Shutterstock

About research

In this study, we analyzed the effects of alternate-day fasting (ADF) and time-restricted eating (TRE) on body weight and inflammatory markers, namely CRP, TNF-α, and IL-6, in obese patients.

In this study, searches were conducted in Embase, PubMed, and The Cochrane Library using various keywords such as fasting, intermittent fasting, time-restricted diets, alternate-day fasting, weight loss, inflammation, and inflammatory markers. This search aimed to find information on the effects of intermittent fasting on inflammatory markers, obesity, and other relevant factors.

Research articles were selected based on specific selection criteria. The study required controlled or randomized trials measuring inflammatory markers associated with weight changes in overweight or obese adult men and/or women. The search retrieved 6 human trials from ADF and 5 trials from TRE.

result

Studies have shown that TRE leads to 1% to 5% weight loss over 8 to 12 weeks compared to controls. Fat mass was reduced by 3% to 9% in the study compared to controls. On each trial, controls were able to maintain lean body mass. Only a limited number of studies have assessed visceral fat mass. Studies show that a 4% to 5% weight loss can lead to an 11% to 13% reduction in visceral fat mass. However, a 3% weight loss did not change visceral fat mass. Additionally, 5-12% weight loss compared to baseline was observed 8-24 weeks after ADF. The difference in weight loss between intervention and caloric restriction (CR) groups was not statistically significant. ADF reduced fat mass by 12% to 18%, but had no effect on lean mass.

Eight weeks after TRE, high-sensitivity (hs)-CRP levels were unchanged in both the early and late TRE groups, despite a 4% to 5% loss in body weight. Another study involved resistance training three times a week in combination with his TRE of eight hours. At the end of the 8-week study, hs-CRP levels were found to be similar to controls. Another study received 12 weeks of 8-hour TRE despite a 4% weight loss. No significant difference in CRP concentration was found between the group and the control group. In almost all studies, 6% to 10% body weight loss reduced hs-CRP or CRP.

Individuals receiving 4-hour and 6-hour TREs lost 3% in body weight after 8 weeks. However, there was no change in TNF-α levels compared to the control group. In another study, an obese participant was assigned to follow her TRE 6 hours before or 6 hours after for 8 weeks. They found that both the early and late TRE groups experienced weight loss, with the early TRE group showing a slightly significant decrease of 5%. There was no change in TNF-α levels. One study found that 24 weeks of both ADF and CR reduced the weight of an overweight or obese adult by 7% of hers. However, this level of weight loss did not affect her TNF-α levels.

Four- and six-hour TREs did not alter circulating IL-6 compared to controls in obese males and females. Both groups experienced minimal weight loss and no changes in visceral fat mass were observed. There was no change in IL-6 levels. Two studies found that ADF and CR had no effect on his 24-week plasma IL-6 levels, despite significant weight loss and reduction in visceral fat mass.

Conclusion

The results of this study showed that intermittent fasting did not significantly affect key pro-inflammatory cytokines in the bloodstream. but no significant effect was observed on TNF-α or IL-6. No significant changes in inflammatory parameters were detected in association with TRE, even though body weight decreased by 5% of hers. Due to the limited current data in this area, further studies are needed to confirm the effects of intermittent fasting on inflammatory markers.