Utilizing Fasting to Decrease Chronic Inflammation with the Help of a Misunderstood Fat

As the leader of Britain, Rishi Sunak carries a significant burden. To cope with the stress, he practices fasting.

He restricts his intake to only water, tea, or black coffee from 5pm on Sunday to 5am on Tuesday. He considers this practice as "an important discipline for me." [1] While his fasting may not primarily be for health benefits, he is still experiencing various advantages, such as cellular cleansing, improved DNA repair, and healthier aging.

Another notable benefit is the reduction of inflammation. Recent scientific studies have revealed a new way in which fasting can assist in combating chronic inflammation and the related health issues.

Overview

Fasting Is Shown To Combat Illness

Neuroscientists at Johns Hopkins state that fasting in humans "helps reduce obesity, hypertension, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis." After analyzing 31 studies on rheumatoid arthritis patients, they concluded that "during fasting, both inflammation and pain decrease in RA patients." [1]

Research has also proven that fasting promotes longevity.

Ongoing research is investigating how fasting decreases inflammation. A recent study focused on the inflammasome, a key element in the body's immune system that triggers inflammation in response to stress, cellular damage, or infection.

While acute inflammation aids in healing, the inflammasome can also cause harmful inflammation. For example, it can lead to the release of cell contents into the body by destroying unwanted cells, triggering inflammation.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the National Institute of Health (NIH) aimed to delve into this issue further. Professor Clare Bryant, the senior author of the study, said: "We are particularly interested in understanding the origins of chronic inflammation in various human diseases, especially the role of the inflammasome."

Arachidonic Acid Suppresses Inflammation

"What has become clear in recent years," she continued, "is that a specific inflammasome – the NLRP3 inflammasome – plays a crucial role in many major diseases like obesity and atherosclerosis, as well as in conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, prevalent among older individuals, especially in the Western world." [2]

To explore this further, researchers collected blood samples from 21 volunteers who had a 500-calorie meal before fasting for 24 hours and then consuming a second 500-calorie meal. They found that calorie restriction increased arachidonic acid (AA) levels, derived from foods containing linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid. Upon resuming meals, AA levels decreased again.

In surprising results, they found that AA inhibits the activity of the NLRP3 inflammasome, contrary to its reputation for promoting inflammation.

Regular Fasting May Reduce Chronic Inflammation

In their published paper in Cell Reports, the researchers concluded: "These findings highlight the significance of AA as a natural regulator of the NLRP3 inflammasome and provide a rationale for how fasting reduces systemic inflammation." [3]

Discussing their findings, Professor Bryant noted: "This provides a potential explanation for how adjusting our diet, especially through fasting, protects us from inflammation, particularly the harmful type associated with many diseases linked to a high-calorie Western diet.

“It is premature to claim that fasting protects against diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's since the effects of arachidonic acid are short-lived. However, our work adds to the growing scientific evidence supporting the health benefits of caloric restriction. It suggests that regular fasting over time could help reduce the chronic inflammation associated with these conditions. It is certainly an attractive concept.”

The study also clarifies the mechanism of action of aspirin.

Aspirin Inhibits AA Breakdown

Despite aspirin being in use for over a century, the exact way in which aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs achieve their anti-inflammatory effects remains incompletely understood. The study results offer insight into this process.

Normally, the body breaks down arachidonic acid rapidly, but aspirin hinders this breakdown. Consequently, there is an accumulation of the lipid, reducing inflammasome activity and thus inflammation.

Regular consumption of aspirin is not advised to increase AA levels due to its side effects of stomach bleeding; fasting is a more effective and safer option.

Although AA has some inflammatory properties, it also produces anti-inflammatory and blood vessel-relaxing metabolites. Studies in humans show that higher blood AA levels are linked to decreased pro-inflammatory markers and increased anti-inflammatory markers. [4]

Since blood AA levels are tightly regulated, boosting dietary AA may not significantly raise levels. Nonetheless, as natural foods containing linoleic acid are beneficial, it is beneficial to ensure a good intake of these foods, including meat, fish, full-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables, and raw, unprocessed nuts and seeds.

As research indicates, fasting is a proven method to achieve this, whether by following the example of the British Prime Minister or through other less intensive fasting methods that have been discussed before, such as intermittent fasting.

Summary

Fasting has long been associated with health benefits like improved longevity and reduced inflammation. Recent research from the University of Cambridge and NIH explains how fasting boosts arachidonic acid (AA), a lipid that suppresses the NLRP3 inflammasome's activity, a significant contributor to chronic inflammation. These findings suggest that regular fasting could help address conditions linked to inflammation, such as Alzheimer's and heart disease, while offering a natural alternative to medications like aspirin.

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