User:NelsonL./sandbox

Variations
There are 3 major categories of fasting identified by researchers today. Alternate Day Fasting (ADF), Modified Alternate Day Fasting, and Time-restricted feeding (TRF). There are variations within each of these categories such as the 5:2 diet which is a type of Modified alternate day fasting. The 5:2 diet allows the consumption of 500-600 calories on fasting days.

Modified alternate day fasting allows consumption of 20-25% of energy needs on fasting days and normal eating on the others.

Intermittent Fasting in Different Religions
Periods of scheduled and unscheduled fasting in different religions have the same major goal purifying the body and soul.

Islam
Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. Those who practice Islam fast for periods of 28-30 days depending on the year. This period is known as Ramadan. The actual amount of time in between food and water consumption changes based on geographic location. Ramadan is very strict as it restricts food and liquid intake, from dawn to sunset. Food and water can is then consumed before dawn and after sunset. Ramadan fasting changes one's regular eating habit so drastically that it has been linked to disruptions in one's circadian rhythm as well as changes in associated hormones such as melatonin, prolactin, and cortisol.

Orthodox Christian
Orthodox Christians fast every Wednesday and Friday over the period of the year. Additionally, they also fast for extended periods of time during Lent, Easter, Formation of Theotokos, and the Apostle's fast. During these periods of fasting, they are not to consume any meat, fish, dairy, olive oil, or alcohol leaving their meals rich in vegetables, fruit, cereal, and nuts.

Buddhist
During periods of fasting, followers completely stray away from eating animal products although, they do allow consumption of milk. Furthermore, they also avoid eating garlic, welsh onion, garlic chives, asana, leeks, alcohol, and processed foods.

Daniel Fasting
Daniel fasting is a 21 day period of the year in which one may consume as much food as wanted as long as he or she avoids meat, eggs, dairy, preservatives and all liquids besides water.

Research with Animals
A study published in 2017 tested to check for a possible link between prophylactic intermittent fasting and neuroprotective effects against ischemic stroke in rodent animal models.In their research on rodent diseased models, they found that intermittent fasting resulted in mild neuroprotective effects. Effects seen include but are not limited to: an increase in neuroprotective proteins, a decrease in mitochondrial production and release of reactive oxygen species, an increase in antioxidant defenses in the brain, a decrease in the expression of pro-inflammatory genes, and lastly an increase in the levels of anti-apoptotic proteins in heart cells and liver cells. Together, all of these effects are understood to play a role in improving cognitive performance.

Additional research in animal models indicates that the metabolic switch discussed in the "research with humans" section has many notable benefits. Such benefits include the normalization of gene expression, higher retention of muscle mass when compared to traditional caloric restriction, improvements in cardiovascular health and glucose metabolism and lastly, there was an observable reduction in bodily inflammation and accumulation of fats in the liver in the mice studied.

Research with Humans
Controlled clinical trials on how intermittent fasting regimens affect short and long term health benefits are lacking although, some do exist. For example, reductions in weight, improvements in cardiovascular and metabolic variables such as fat mass, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and C-reactive proteins in non-obese individuals have been recorded. Intermittent fasting has been linked directly to facilitating how the body metabolizes potential fuel sources. About 12 hours after one's last meal, the body begins to metabolize fatty acids and ketones as the primary food source. This change in energy source results in a decrease in the levels of insulin and leptin, reduced levels of inflammatory proteins and other molecules associated with oxidative stress.

The Future of Research
There is an increasing amount of evidence that suggests intermittent fasting results in a wide range of benefits to human health. There is great a need for human clinical trials before intermittent fasting can be regarded as a health recommendation for the general population. Clinical trials must have larger and more varying populations, increased focus on how intermittent fasting affects human body systems on a physiological level, and lastly, potential adverse reactions to long-term adherence. A literature review published in 2015 concluded that data is lacking on how intermittent fasting impacts sleep, physical activity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Research
Mark Mattson is the chief of the laboratory of neuroscience at the National Institute on Aging and a professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University. In his lab, he works works with different animal models in studying age-related neurodegenerative disorders. The animal models are used to study Alzheimers Disorder, Parkinson's Disease, and Stroke. In each of these models, he has found that reducing energy intake results in a direct increase in longevity of life. He reduces the energy intake of these animals through the process of intermittent fasting. In rats and mice, the effect can increase life span by 30-40%. He also found that it aids in reducing the rate at which amyloid accumulates in the brain and reduces the rate of degeneration of dopamine neurons in the Alzheimers and Parkinson's animal models.

During periods of fasting, the nerve cell circuits are more active. This is associated with an increase in the production of proteins in the brain called neurotrophic factors. Specifically, BDNF and FGF which help to promote the growth of axons and dendrites, strengthening of synapses, and neurogenesis. His research indicates that intermittent fasting enhances the ability of nerve cells to cope with stress and resist disease. The research also shows that fasting stimulates antioxidant defenses, promotes clearing of metabolic waste, and reduces inflammation while also enhancing DNA repair.

Additionally, he makes comparisons between exercise and fasting in his research. Both situations are stressful to the body and the body adapts to these environments in very similar ways. In exercise, the number of mitochondria increase the muscles and the same is true for neurons in the brain under conditions of fasting. This increase of mitochondria in the neurons increases their ability to form and maintain synapses which directly results in increased learning and memory ability.

The Film "Science of Fasting"
This film begins with focus on the Goriachinsk Sanatorium located in Siberia Taiga, Russia which has been a center for fasting since 1995. The center is a place of healing for patients to come to and its practices are based on 40 years of research regarding health effects of fasting on human health. The research is based on the accounts of thousands of patients that were formerly part of the soviet union and is unknown in western civilization. There has been over 10,000 patient treatments in problems of diabetes, asthma, hypertension, rheumatism, allergies, and more since its opening. Approximately 2/3 of the patients find that their symptoms are reduced dramatically after one or more treatments.

The center is under the supervision of the chief doctor; Dr. Natalia Bataeva. When a patient arrives to the center, they meet with the doctor and are reassured in order to reduce anxiety related to treatment.

Treatment involves complete abstinence of food while only allowing intake of water for an average of 12 days. The patients are under medical supervision by professionals trained in the science of fasting the entire time as to ensure safety. During treatment, patients receive regular urine and blood tests. They are also given treatments to help patients cope with fasting: colonic irrigation, body wraps, saunas, and massage. The doctors also recommend that patients exercise for 2-3 hours each day.

Blood tests at the beginning of the treatment are compared to tests at the end and indicate improvements in blood composition. For example, levels in glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, and insulin reduced. Energy expenditures of the body are also reduced; decreases in respiratory rate, heart rate and blood pressure are seen while the digestive systems goes into a state of rest. The doctor notes that complete abstinence of food results in minimal nutrient depletions and such depletions are decreases in vitamin E, D, and C but they are not critical.

In the film, personal accounts are given from different patients as they undergo treatment. They explain their experience during treatment from day to day. It also gives accounts of how doctors came up with the idea of fasting to treat patients and the research and tests they completed to monitor its effectiveness. Additional accounts from patients and doctors who have undergone treatment at different sites such as a site in Germany are also given.

Research on how fasting affects animals are also mentioned. This research focuses on penguins, rats and mice. In penguins, a study was designed to determine the percentage of protein used during fasting and it concluded that proteins only provided 4% of their daily energy expenditure while lipids provided 96%. The penguins were able to fast until 80% of fat stores are used up and then must eat again because the body begins to utilize proteins for energy at this point. The same study was completed on rats and the same conclusions were made. In mice, a research study designed by Valter Longo, an Italian biologist working at the University of Southern California, tested to see how mice would react to fasting while receiving chemotherapy drugs. Two groups of mice received doses of chemotherapy that are 3-5 times higher than allowed in humans. One group of mice received a normal diet and the other group received no food. Only 35% of the mice in the normal diet group survived and those that did, exhibited abnormal behavior. The group of mice fasting not only lived but also exhibited normal behavior.