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[A1CR]

Fasting has got a lot of positive press lately -- as a potential way to get the benefits of CR without cutting calories. In this 2004-02-17 article, MR points out fasting has not been shown to have the same health benefits as CR. Fasting definitely deserves more scientific study, but for now, don't count on it to provide a "free lunch."

Another CRONie noted:

> >From: PT

> .... In recent animal studies this is called
> >intermittant fasting, although I think that the animals are fasted 24
> >hours. It has been shown to have the same health benefits of more
> >traditional methods of calorie restriction. Certainly it's a lot easier to
> >follow.


> It's been shown tho have the same benefits for mice. Whether or not this is
> true for other animals and humans remains to been seen.

To be clear, intermittant fasting has NOT been shown to have the same
health benefits of more traditional methods of calorie restriction. It
has been found, in short-term studies, to exert similar (indeed,
sometimes greater) effects on a few specific health-relataed parameters,
such as blood pressure and glucose, and to also exert neuroprotective
effects against a variety of nasty excitotoxins etc, but we know nothing
about the actual anti-aging or health effects of IF *except* when
accompanied by actual reduction in Caloric intake. Existing evidence
indicates that CR is CR, independent of schedule -- except that at least
some adult organisms may not adapt as well to IF-CR as to 'continuous'
CR.

-MR