An old thread about fasting:
http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:...s&ct=clnk&cd=4
"Both caloric (energy) restriction (CR) and reduced meal frequency/intermittent fasting can suppress the development of various diseases and can increase life span in rodents by mechanisms involving reduced oxidative damage and increased stress resistance.
Many of the beneficial effects of CR and fasting appear to be mediated by the nervous system.
For example, intermittent fasting results in increased production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which increases the resistance of neurons in the brain to dysfunction and degeneration in animal models of neurodegenerative disorders;
BDNF signaling may also mediate beneficial effects of intermittent fasting on glucose regulation and cardiovascular function. A better understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms by which meal size and frequency affect human health may lead to novel approaches for disease prevention and treatment."
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Neurology 2003;60:690-695
© 2003 American Academy of Neurology
Medical Hypothesis
Will caloric restriction and folate protect against AD and PD?
Mark P. Mattson, PhD
From the Laboratory of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging, Gerontology Research Center, Baltimore, MD.
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Mark P. Mattson, Laboratory of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging, Gerontology Research Center 4F01, 5600 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224; e-mail:
mattsonm@grc.nia.nih.gov
Recent epidemiologic studies of different sample populations have suggested that the risk of AD and PD may be increased in individuals with high-calorie diets and in those with increased homocysteine levels. Dietary restriction and supplementation with folic acid can reduce neuronal damage and improve behavioral outcome in mouse models of AD and PD.
Animal studies have shown that the beneficial effects of dietary restriction result, in part, from increased production of neurotrophic factors and cytoprotective protein chaperones in neurons. By keeping homocysteine levels low, folic acid can protect cerebral vessels and can prevent the accumulation of DNA damage in neurons caused by oxidative stress and facilitated by homocysteine. Although further studies are required in humans, the emerging data suggest that high-calorie diets and elevated homocysteine levels may render the brain vulnerable to neurodegenerative disorders.
http://neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/60/4/690
MORE OF THAT THREAD IS HERE:
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