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Medicina
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Intermittent Fasting: Depicting Anti-aging, and Chronic Disease-Preventing and Ameliorating Effects
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Intermittent Fasting: Depicting Anti-aging, and Chronic Disease-Preventing and Ameliorating Effects

A special issue of Medicina (ISSN 1648-9144). This special issue belongs to the section "Epidemiology & Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 12457

Special Issue Editors

Dr. MoezAlIslam Ezzat Faris

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Interests: fasting; nutrition; health
Dr. Nabil Eid

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia
Interests: fasting; nutrition; health
Dr. Faiza Kalam

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
Interests: fasting; nutrition; health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Intermittent fasting (IF) gained popularity in both public and scientific communities. IF is safe for weight loss and maintenance among adults with overweight and obesity, as well as during chemotherapy in cancer populations. IF is a cost-effective intervention that entails different health-improving and disease-preventing outcomes. Various forms of IF are associated with numerous health befits, including improvements in body weight and body composition, lowering severity and risks of metabolic syndrome, improving lipid profile and glucose homeostasis, lowering cardiometabolic risk factors, ameliorating oxidative and inflammatory stress markers, modifying the gene expression of numerous antioxidant and anti-inflammatory defense system components. IF is thoroughly investigated in the current era. However, there are still many unanswered questions regarding the impacts of IF on healthy individuals, especially regarding the chronic disease-preventing, anti-aging, and longevity-enhancing impacts. Additionally, it is unknown how IF impacts patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammatory bowel diseases. The effects of IF on the human body’s systems and any potential genetic and epigenetic modifications brought on by this practice call for more research. With an emphasis on observational and interventional studies in humans and animals, this Special Issue seeks to present an advanced research and comprehensive view of the effect of IF on chronic diseases, aging, and longevity. Clinical, animal, and basic research, and reviews (narrative, scoping, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses) addressing different aspects of IF, including but not limited to the following areas, are encouraged:

  • Cell senescence, immuno-senescence, and cell aging
  • Stress resistance, autophagy, and aging
  • Brain health, cognitive abilities, neuroplasticity, and neuro-inflammation
  • Body weight and composition, with a focus on visceral adiposity and muscle mass
  • Atherogenic and cardiometabolic risk
  • Anti-inflammatory, Proinflammatory, and oxidative stress
  • Glycemic control and glucose homeostasis
  • Circadian rhythm
  • Gut microbiota and human microflora
  • Immunomodulatory chemokines and adipocytokines
  • Kidney and fluid balance
  • Liver diseases, particularly fatty liver diseases (NAFLD and steatosis)
  • Molecular signaling pathways implicated in the many medical impacts of IF
  • Gene expressions and epigenetic modifications for human metabolism
  • Omics include IF-induced genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, metagenomics, phenomics, and transcriptomics
  • Metabolic oscillations, and bioenergetics
  • Therapeutic applications of IF for a variety of illnesses, including cancer, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and inflammatory bowel diseases
  • Experimental models to investigate the impact of the IF model on several aspects of health
  • Religious forms of IF and their health and metabolic impacts.

Dr. MoezAlIslam Ezzat Faris
Dr. Nabil Eid
Dr. Faiza Kalam
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Medicina is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

 

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19 pages, 392 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Ramadan Intermittent Fasting on Food Intake, Anthropometric Indices, and Metabolic Markers among Premenopausal and Postmenopausal Women: A Cross-Sectional Study
by Nada A. AlZunaidy, Abdulrahman S. Al-Khalifa, Maha H. Alhussain, Mohammed A. Mohammed, Hani A. Alfheeaid, Sami A. Althwab and MoezAlIslam E. Faris
Medicina 2023, 59(7), 1191; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina59071191 - 24 Jun 2023
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Abstract
Background and objectives: Ramadan intermittent fasting (RIF) is a monthlong practice in which Muslims fast during the whole day from sunrise to sunset. During this month, fasting people change their dietary behavior and alter their eating hours from day to night. The objective [...] Read more.
Background and objectives: Ramadan intermittent fasting (RIF) is a monthlong practice in which Muslims fast during the whole day from sunrise to sunset. During this month, fasting people change their dietary behavior and alter their eating hours from day to night. The objective of the current study was to examine the effect of RIF on dietary consumption, anthropometric indices, and metabolic markers in healthy premenopausal (PRE-M) and postmenopausal (POST-M) Saudi women. Materials and Methods: The study included 62 women (31 PRE-M, 21–42 years, and 31 POST-M, 43–68 years). A structured questionnaire was used to collect socioeconomic data. Physical activity, anthropometric, dietary, and biochemical assessments were assessed before and at the end of the third week of Ramadan. Results: Socioeconomic data varied among participants. For both groups, observing RIF was associated with significantly (at either p ≤ 0.01 or p ≤ 0.05) lower intake of calories, macronutrients, minerals (excluding Na), and vitamins than before RIF. For the PRE-M group, the percentage of overweight participants decreased significantly (p ≤ 0.01) during Ramadan, while the percentage of obese participants remained unchanged. In contrast, for the POST-M group, the percentage of overweight participants increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) during Ramadan, but dropped at the end of Ramadan. Following RIF, waist-to-hip ratio, body fat, and fat mass (FM) decreased in both groups. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglycerides (TG), and blood pressure (SBP, DBP) were generally maintained at acceptable normal levels in most participants before and at the end of RIF. However, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) at the end of RIF was significantly lower than before, particularly in POST-M women. Age, occupation, and monthly income were the most important predictors for the changes in nutritional status and body fat upon RIF. Conclusions: observing RIF by PRE-M and POST-M Saudi women was associated with significant improvements in variable health indicators, with a few exceptions, and may help lower risk factors for chronic diseases, particularly among POST-M women. However, further studies with a larger sample size are required to determine and confirm the exact effect of RIF on these groups. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intermittent Fasting: Depicting Anti-aging, and Chronic Disease-Preventing and Ameliorating Effects)

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13 pages, 4027 KiB  
Systematic Review
Effect of Calorie Restriction and Intermittent Fasting Regimens on Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels and Cognitive Function in Humans: A Systematic Review
by Refat Alkurd, Lana Mahrous, Falak Zeb, Moien AB Khan, Hamid Alhaj, Husam M. Khraiwesh and MoezAlIslam E. Faris
Medicina 2024, 60(1), 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina60010191 - 22 Jan 2024
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Abstract
Background: The potential positive interaction between intermittent fasting (IF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on cognitive function has been widely discussed. This systematic review tried to assess the efficacy of interventions with different IF regimens on BDNF levels and their association with cognitive [...] Read more.
Background: The potential positive interaction between intermittent fasting (IF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on cognitive function has been widely discussed. This systematic review tried to assess the efficacy of interventions with different IF regimens on BDNF levels and their association with cognitive functions in humans. Interventions with different forms of IF such as caloric restriction (CR), alternate-day fasting (ADF), time-restricted eating (TRE), and the Ramadan model of intermittent fasting (RIF) were targeted. Methods: A systematic review was conducted for experimental and observational studies on healthy people and patients with diseases published in EMBASE, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases from January 2000 to December 2023. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis statements (PRISMA) for writing this review. Results: Sixteen research works conducted on healthy people and patients with metabolic disorders met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review. Five studies showed a significant increase in BDNF after the intervention, while five studies reported a significant decrease in BDNF levels, and the other six studies showed no significant changes in BDNF levels due to IF regimens. Moreover, five studies examined the RIF protocol, of which, three studies showed a significant reduction, while two showed a significant increase in BDNF levels, along with an improvement in cognitive function after RIF. Conclusions: The current findings suggest that IF has varying effects on BDNF levels and cognitive functions in healthy, overweight/obese individuals and patients with metabolic conditions. However, few human studies have shown that IF increases BDNF levels, with controversial results. In humans, IF has yet to be fully investigated in terms of its long-term effect on BDNF and cognitive functions. Large-scale, well-controlled studies with high-quality data are warranted to elucidate the impact of the IF regimens on BDNF levels and cognitive functions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intermittent Fasting: Depicting Anti-aging, and Chronic Disease-Preventing and Ameliorating Effects)
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