The Impact of Intermittent Fasting on Human Metabolism and Cell Autophagy
Condition: Excessive Diet Restriction
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      InterFast is a Cohort study with an embedded randomized controlled pilot trial. Study
      participants will be healthy subjects and subjects who already practice Alternate Day
      Fasting. The trial will include 100 participants (50 Participants in Alternate Day Fasting
      group and 50 participants in the control group). Those participants in the control group will
      be asked to participate in a short randomized controlled trial, where they will be either
      allocated to an Alternative Day Fasting group or another control visit.
    

Detailed description: 
      Intermittent fasting is a dietary regimen defined by alternating fasting and "feeding"
      cycles. In addition to caloric restriction (a dietary regimen limited to a daily food intake
      lower than one's daily caloric needs) only, intermittent fasting seems to activate cell
      autophagy (cellular "recycling" program) which potentially increases cellular stress
      resistance and removes accumulated molecules that are potentially toxic. In fact, mice
      maintained on intermittent fasting without decreased overall food intake show effects on body
      weight reduction that equal and in some cases even exceed those of calorie restriction.
      However, additionally, intermittent fasting combined with even a high-fat diet in the feeding
      periods protects mice from obesity, hyperinsulinemia, hepatic steatosis, and inﬂammation
      compared to controls that are fed an ad libitum high-fat diet despite the same calorie
      intake, making this intermittent fasting regimen a promising approach to reduce morbidity and
      mortality in various species.

      The best described and most widely practiced version of intermittent fasting is the
      "alternate day diet" or "alternate day fasting" (ADF). In animal models, ADF consists of an
      ad libitum "feed day" alternated with a 100% restriction "fast day". However in humans, this
      is often modified to allow a small amount of food consumption on the "fast day" (e.g. 25% of
      the individual´s energy needs). Findings from recent modified ADF studies showed significant
      reductions in body weight.

      However, knowledge about the molecular effects of the alternate day diet on human metabolism
      or autophagy is still scarce since detailed analyses of molecular and metabolic parameters
      remain unexplored, especially in healthy individuals. The overarching aim of this research
      project is to elucidate in which extent alternate day fasting (and thereby intermittent
      fasting) influences human physiology in healthy individuals in both short and long term. The
      secondary objective of this study is to define novel molecular markers of aging and
      age-related diseases.
    

Intervention name(s): Alternate day fasting
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Subjects are requested to fast every other day. Calorie free fluids are allowed.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Basic Science
Keywords: Alternate Day Fasting