Researchers: Alberto Diaz-Ruiz, Tyler Rhinesmith, Laura C D Pomatto-Watson, Nathan L Price, Farzin Eshaghi, Margaux R Ehrlich, Jacqueline M Moats, Melissa Carpenter, Annamaria Rudderow, Sebastian Brandhorst, Julie A Mattison, Miguel A Aon, Michel Bernier, Valter D Longo, Rafael de Cabo
Diet composition, calories, and fasting times contribute to the maintenance of health. However, the impact of very low-calorie intake (VLCI) achieved with either standard laboratory chow (SD) or a plant-based fasting mimicking diet (FMD) is not fully understood. Here, using middle-aged male mice we show that 5 months of short 4:10 VLCI cycles lead to decreases in both fat and lean mass, accompanied by improved physical performance and glucoregulation, and greater metabolic flexibility independent of diet composition. A long-lasting metabolomic reprograming in serum and liver is observed in mice on VLCI cycles with SD, but not FMD. Further, when challenged with an obesogenic diet, cycles of VLCI do not prevent diet-induced obesity nor do they elicit a long-lasting metabolic memory, despite achieving modest metabolic flexibility. Our results highlight the importance of diet composition in mediating the metabolic benefits of short cycles of VLCI.
References
- Impact of intermittent fasting on health and disease processes.
- Fasting: molecular mechanisms and clinical applications.
- Metabolic and molecular framework for the enhancement of endurance by intermittent food deprivation.
- A cross-sectional study of functional and metabolic changes during aging through the lifespan in male mice.
- Effects of Sex, Strain, and Energy Intake on Hallmarks of Aging in Mice.
- Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Understanding and Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting.
- Study of Longitudinal Aging in Mice: Presentation of Experimental Techniques.
Topic: Nonprofits in aging