Cordain finally got on the growing IF(intermittent fasting) bandwagon in
his most recent newsletter. While his primary interest in this is from an
evolutionary perspective, I'm pretty confident that what triggered this was
the work being done by a Dr Mattson at NIH. Dr Mattson has published a
flurry of papers on IF(or EODF in some papers: Every Other Day Fasting);
below is an abstract that Dr de Vany published on his site back in early
August:
J Nutr Biochem. 2005 Mar;16(3):129-37.
Related Articles, Links
Beneficial effects of intermittent fasting and caloric restriction on the
cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems.
Mattson MP, Wan R.
Laboratory of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging Intramural
Research Program, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. [log in to unmask]
Intermittent fasting (IF; reduced meal frequency) and caloric restriction
(CR) extend lifespan and increase resistance to age-related diseases in
rodents and monkeys and improve the health of overweight humans. Both IF
and CR enhance cardiovascular and brain functions and improve several risk
factors for coronary artery disease and stroke including a reduction in
blood pressure and increased insulin sensitivity. Cardiovascular stress
adaptation is improved and heart rate variability is increased in rodents
maintained on an IF or a CR diet. Moreover, rodents maintained on an IF
regimen exhibit increased resistance of heart and brain cells to ischemic
injury in experimental models of myocardial infarction and stroke. The
beneficial effects of IF and CR result from at least two
mechanisms--reduced oxidative damage and increased cellular stress
resistance. Recent findings suggest that some of the beneficial effects of
IF on both the cardiovascular system and the brain are mediated by
brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling in the brain. Interestingly,
cellular and molecular effects of IF and CR on the cardiovascular system
and the brain are similar to those of regular physical exercise, suggesting
shared mechanisms. A better understanding of the cellular and molecular
mechanisms by which IF and CR affect the blood vessels and heart and brain
cells will likely lead to novel preventative and therapeutic strategies for
extending health span.
If you PubMed Mattson you'll find lots more papers on IF. Here is an
abstract to to his latest paper:
<javascript:AL_get(this, 'jour', 'Circulation.');>Circulation. 2005 Nov
15;112(20):3115-21. Epub 2005 Nov 7.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Display&dopt=pubmed_pubmed&from_uid=16275865>Related
Articles, <javascript:PopUpMenu2_Set(Menu16275865);>Links
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/utils/lofref.fcgi?PrId=3051&uid=16275865&db=pubmed&url=http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=16275865>
Click here to read
Cardioprotection by intermittent fasting in rats.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&term=%22Ahmet+I%22%5BAuthor%5D>Ahmet
I,
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&term=%22Wan+R%22%5BAuthor%5D>Wan
R,
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&term=%22Mattson+MP%22%5BAuthor%5D>Mattson
MP,
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&term=%22Lakatta+EG%22%5BAuthor%5D>Lakatta
EG,
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Search&term=%22Talan+M%22%5BAuthor%5D>Talan
M.
Laboratory of Cardiovascular Sciences, National Institute on Aging,
Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
BACKGROUND: Intermittent fasting (IF), a dietary regimen in which food is
available only every other day, increases the life span and reduces the
incidence of age-associated diseases in rodents. We have reported
neuroprotective effects of IF against ischemic injury of the brain. In this
study, we examined the effects of IF on ischemic injury of the heart in
rats. METHODS AND RESULTS: After 3 months of IF or regular every-day
feeding (control) diets started in 2-month-old rats, myocardial infarction
(MI) was induced by coronary artery ligation. Twenty-four hours after MI,
its size in the IF group was 2-fold smaller, the number of apoptotic
myocytes in the area at risk was 4-fold less, and the inflammatory response
was significantly reduced compared with the control diet group. Serial
echocardiography revealed that during 10 weeks after MI (with continuation
of the IF regimen), the left ventricular (LV) remodeling and MI expansion
that were observed in the control diet group were absent in the IF group.
In a subgroup of animals with similar MI size at 1 week after MI, further
observation revealed less remodeling, better LV function, and no MI
expansion in the IF group compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS: IF
protects the heart from ischemic injury and attenuates post-MI cardiac
remodeling, likely via antiapoptotic and antiinflammatory mechanisms.
Beware: Intermittent Fasting and Caloric Restriction are not the same!
While Cordain mentioned how various tribes are known to only eat once a day
I doubt that we'll ever find that to be a normative behavior. Dr de Vany I
believe has the right idea: intermittent stressors, not chronic. When Dr de
Vany posted the aforementioned abstract in his blog back in August it rang
my bell. Art had talked of fasting now and then in his past writings, but I
didn't really get it. I tried implementing fasting before but couldn't
stick with it. But when I read the above abstract and dove head first into
Mattson's research I finally got what de Vany had been talking about all
along. In a very real way IF and exercise are two sides of the same coin.
So in mid-August I tried it again: skipping dinner every third day or so,
and skipping all meals once every four weeks(very roughly). With concrete
knowledge of both the benefits and the mechanisms it became much easier to
fast. Benefits? You bet. Because of personal and professional commitments
my exercise habits have been dreadful lately. Yet I've dropped about half a
shirt size, and I've got more energy and spring in my step. I'm more
productive at work too. What does it feel like? Recall the Wizard of Oz -
how the did the Tin Man react when he was given a shot of oil? That is
pretty close to how I've felt.
Oh, and that weight loss? Its beginning to accelerate.
Dave Fobare
>If you're not already signed up to get Dr. Cordain's excellent paleo
>newsletter, do it now. Until then, scroll to the bottom of this page
>http://www.thepaleodiet.com/newsletter/ and check out the current
>issue. Fascinating info on paleo meal frequency (hint: generally one a
>day) and caloric restriction.
>
>Jim Swayze
>www.fireholecanyon.com
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