Fasting-mimicking diet and markers/risk factors for aging, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized controlled trial with a crossover phase
PubMed 28202779 · doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.aai8700
What was done
One hundred generally healthy participants in the United States were randomized into two arms: 3 months of an unrestricted diet versus a fasting-mimicking diet (FMD)—low in calories, sugars, and protein, but high in unsaturated fats—consumed for 5 consecutive days per month for 3 months. After 3 months, control subjects crossed over to the FMD protocol, yielding 71 subjects who completed three FMD cycles. Post hoc analyses evaluated effects in participants categorized as at risk versus not at risk for disease.
What was found
The abstract reports directions of change without numerical values or effect sizes. Three FMD cycles reduced body weight, trunk fat, total body fat, blood pressure, and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), with no serious adverse effects reported. A post hoc analysis showed greater improvements in body mass index, blood pressure, fasting glucose, IGF-1, triglycerides, total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and C-reactive protein in participants at risk for disease compared to those not at risk.
Why it matters
This study suggests that periodic, short-term dietary restriction can modify cardiovascular and metabolic risk markers without requiring continuous daily calorie restriction.
Limits
The abstract provides no numerical data, effect estimates, or confidence intervals. The sample size is relatively small with notable attrition (100 randomized, 71 completed), key findings rely on post hoc subgroup analysis, and only surrogate biomarkers were evaluated over a short duration.