Intermittent Fasting Outperforms Calorie Restriction for Improving Gut Health and Microbiome Diversity

Concetti Chiave

Intermittent fasting with protein pacing (IF-P) diet leads to greater reductions in gastrointestinal symptoms, increased gut microbiome diversity, and more favorable metabolic profiles compared to a calorie-restricted (CR) Mediterranean-style diet.

Sintesi

This study compared the effects of two low-calorie dietary interventions - a Mediterranean-style continuous calorie-restricted (CR) diet and an intermittent fasting with protein pacing (IF-P) diet - on gastrointestinal symptoms, gut microbiome, and circulating cytokines and metabolites.

The study involved 41 participants with overweight/obesity who were randomly assigned to either the CR or IF-P diet for 8 weeks. The interventions were matched for energy intake.

Key findings:

• The IF-P diet resulted in more substantial reductions in patient-reported gastrointestinal symptoms and greater increases in gut microbiota diversity compared to the CR diet.
• The IF-P diet increased the abundance of microbial families and genera associated with favorable metabolic profiles, such as Christensenellaceae, Rikenellaceae, and Marvinbryantia.
• The IF-P diet significantly increased cytokines linked to lipolysis, weight loss, inflammation, and the immune response.
• With the CR diet, metabolites associated with a longevity-related metabolic pathway increased.
• A subgroup analysis of high and low responders to the IF-P diet showed distinct microbial and metabolomic profiles, with high responders exhibiting increased abundance of bacteria associated with metabolic benefits and anti-inflammatory effects.

These findings suggest that the IF-P diet may be a more promising dietary intervention for improving gut health and microbiome diversity compared to a continuous calorie-restricted diet.

Statistiche

Participants in the IF-P diet group experienced more substantial reductions in patient-reported gastrointestinal symptoms compared to the CR diet group.
The IF-P diet led to greater increases in gut microbiota diversity compared to the CR diet.
The IF-P diet significantly increased cytokines linked to lipolysis, weight loss, inflammation, and the immune response.
With the CR diet, metabolites associated with a longevity-related metabolic pathway increased.

Citazioni

"These findings shed light on the differential effects of IF regimens, including IF-P, as a promising dietary intervention for obesity management and microbiotic and metabolic health."

Approfondimenti chiave tratti da

Intermittent Fasting Tops Calorie Restriction for Gut Health

by Marilynn Lar... alle www.medscape.com 06-21-2024

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/intermittent-fasting-tops-calorie-restriction-gut-health-2024a1000bju

Domande più approfondite

How do the long-term effects of the IF-P and CR diets on gut health and microbiome compare?

In the study comparing the effects of Intermittent Fasting and Protein-Pacing (IF-P) diet with a Calorie-Restricted (CR) Mediterranean-style diet on gut health and microbiome, it was found that the IF-P diet resulted in fewer gastrointestinal symptoms and increased diversity in gut microbiota compared to the CR diet. The IF-P diet showed more substantial reductions in patient-reported symptoms of gastrointestinal problems and more pronounced increases in gut microbiota diversity and abundance of microbial families associated with favorable metabolic profiles. This suggests that the IF-P diet may have more beneficial long-term effects on gut health and microbiome compared to the CR diet.

What are the potential mechanisms underlying the superior gut health outcomes observed with the IF-P diet compared to the CR diet?

The superior gut health outcomes observed with the IF-P diet compared to the CR diet may be attributed to several potential mechanisms. The IF-P diet led to increased cytokines linked to lipolysis, weight loss, inflammation, and the immune response, which could contribute to improved gut health. Additionally, the IF-P diet resulted in an increased abundance of certain bacteria associated with metabolic benefits and anti-inflammatory effects among high responders. This suggests that the IF-P diet may modulate the gut microbiome in a way that promotes a healthier gut environment, leading to superior gut health outcomes compared to the CR diet.

What are the implications of the distinct microbial and metabolomic profiles observed between high and low responders to the IF-P diet, and how can this information be leveraged to optimize dietary interventions for individual needs?

The distinct microbial and metabolomic profiles observed between high and low responders to the IF-P diet have important implications for optimizing dietary interventions for individual needs. High responders showed enrichment of fecal metabolites involved in lipid metabolism, while low responders had prominent pathways related to amino acid metabolism. This suggests that tailoring dietary interventions based on individual responses to specific diets, such as the IF-P diet, could lead to better outcomes. By identifying microbial and metabolomic profiles associated with positive responses to the IF-P diet, personalized dietary recommendations can be developed to optimize gut health and metabolic outcomes for individuals based on their unique responses to different dietary interventions.