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Fasting-mimicking diet and markers/risk factors for aging, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease

Randomised pilot (n=100 healthy US adults) of three 5-day fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) cycles versus control: reductions in body weight, trunk/total body fat, blood pressure, and IGF-1; post hoc suggests larger marker shifts in participants classified at higher baseline risk.

Design

  • Randomised pilot; 100 generally healthy US adults
  • Intervention: 3 cycles of a 5-day FMD (low calories/sugars/protein; higher unsaturated fat) vs control diet
  • Primary readouts (trial narrative): weight / adiposity distribution, BP, IGF-1, and other cardiometabolic markers

Reported directional outcomes (abstract)

After 3 months, 3 FMD cycles associated with reductions in body weight, trunk and total body fat, blood pressure, and IGF-1 versus control.

Post hoc / subgroup framing

Authors report that BMI, BP, fasting glucose, IGF-1, TG, LDL/TC, and CRP moved more favourably in participants deemed at risk than in those not at risk.

Evidence hygiene

Feasibility / biomarker pilot—not long-term hard clinical endpoint evidence; do not equate with daily time-restricted eating RCTs on time-restricted-eating.

Publication

Wei M, et al. Sci Transl Med. 2017 Feb 15;9(377):eaai8700. PMID 28202779.

Outcomes

  • After 3 months, three 5-day FMD cycles vs control: lower body weight, trunk fat, total body fat, blood pressure, and IGF-1 (trial abstract).
  • Post hoc: BMI, BP, fasting glucose, IGF-1, triglycerides, LDL/total cholesterol, and CRP improved more in participants classified at higher baseline risk than in lower-risk participants.
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