Intermittent fasting may reduce risk of severe COVID-19

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2022/07/12/fasting-diet-COVID-19/7771657631006/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

A fasting diet might be the ticket to avoiding a COVID-19 hospitalization, a new study suggests.

Researchers at Intermountain Healthcare in Utah found that people who had practiced water-only intermittent fasting for decades were less likely to experience severe complications as a result of a COVID-19 infection.

"Intermittent fasting has already been shown to lower inflammation and improve cardiovascular health. In this study, we're finding additional benefits when it comes to battling an infection of COVID-19 in patients who have been fasting for decades," said lead author Benjamin Horne, director of cardiovascular and genetic epidemiology at Intermountain.

The researchers collected data from a voluntary registry at the healthcare center. They identified 205 patients who tested positive for the virus between March 2020 and February 2021 -- before vaccines were available. Seventy-three of them fasted at least once a month. (Approximately 62% of Utah residents are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for whom fasting on the first Sunday of the month is typical).

The researchers reported hospitalization and/or death in 11% of fasters compared to 29% of non-fasters.

*snip*

[blogslug]

1. nope

not reading anything from UPI

[Nevilledog]

4. Why?

Honest question.

[blogslug]

5. because this

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Press_International#Current_ownership

Current ownership

UPI was purchased in May 2000 by News World Communications, a media conglomerate founded by Unification movement founder Sun Myung Moon, which also owned The Washington Times and newspapers in South Korea, Japan, and South America. The next day, UPI's White House correspondent, Helen Thomas, resigned her position, after working for UPI for 57 years.

[Nevilledog]

6. Ick

[Totally Tunsie]

12. ...but then, Helen Thomas WAS 80 y.o. at the time.

[blogslug]

15. UPI is still owned by the Unification Church

so, there's that

[Hugin]

16. When Helen Thomas left the scene, I scratched UPI off of my ever-shrinking list.

Now, all I've got is LBN, a some DU GD regulars, and a few newsy wonk friends.

[marmar]

2. I'm doing keto so I do the intermittent fasting from time to time. Interesting.

[exboyfil]

10. Keto and IF had me down 70 pounds when I finally caught Covid for the first time

I honestly think that and the immunizations plus first booster saved me from being really ill. I still have another 100 pounds to lose (have lost 90 pounds now).

[viva la]

19. Wow. Intermittent is the only way I can lose weight.

I'm a pretty good cook, so I have to actually avoid entire meals, can't just reduce calories. I imagine this is the way skinny chefs stay skinny.

[brooklynite]

3. I fast between each meal so...

[highplainsdem]

7. Intermittent fasting reportedly has a lot of health benefits, so

It doesn't surprise me that this would be one. The closest I get to intermittent fasting, though, is trying to eat breakfast late enough and dinner early enough to leave at least 12 hours between them, and I don't do that as often as I probably should. I need a high-protein breakfast or the rest of the day won't go well. And i need 3 meals a day to get enough food without having to overeat at any one meal -- and to take all the supplements I take every day with food.

[Sympthsical]

8. So many confounding factors here

First, voluntary. Want to know if someone does IF? Wait a minute, they will tell you.

Second, people who do IF tend to be more health conscious than the average person. It's a conscious lifestyle change and takes a bit of discipline and determination to make stick. It is usually paired with an exercise regimen and usually entails drinking a lot of water (which also helps inflammation).

I do IF. For me, it entails just having water or coffee during the day, then eating late afternoon, early evening. It's a health/fitness thing. Less than the "Effects of IF!" it's more because it is a lot easier to control diet when you have a narrow window to deal with it. When you're not making a lot of food decisions during the day, that also means you're not making a lot of spontaneous bad ones. Blowing through an entire day's worth of calories during the window takes active effort (at least for me).

I've read a lot of articles over the years that are basically, "Why IF fixes everything." They remind me of people who smoke a lot of weed and are forever trying to convince everyone else that it can practically replace all medicine. We all know the type.

I don't do it because it's a miracle physiological wonder. I do it because it provides structure and removes opportunities for screwing up.

Anyway, my first reaction to this article is, "I bet the IF people are a lot healthier in general because they're probably a lot more health conscious." As we know, obesity and poor health have a big impact on how severely Covid affects people. It's the one thing about Covid our culture really, really, really doesn't want to discuss.

Mask up, get your shots. Absolutely. But also, less cheeseburgers, too.

[Hugin]

11. There are many other unanswered lifestyle questions in this article...

Like are people who practice this fasting regimen also more likely to be less social. A confounding factor with COVID, based on numerous reports of how the severity of the initial exposure (i can't think of the term for it right now) can be a indicator of how a patient fares during the course of the disease.

[Sympthsical]

13. The study involves people who contracted it

But you're right in that I think people who take their health seriously were more likely to take COVID precautions more seriously.

I want to know what the body weights were between groups.

Notice also, the study was done in Salt Lake City and the article notes quite a number of Mormons were involved. Ok, but doesn't that beg the question about alcohol use and smoking?

There's just a lot here that isn't accounted for.

I have a strong suspicion this result is a general health thing rather than a specific IF thing.

And I'm not knocking it. I do recommend IF if people can manage it. It can be super helpful.

[Hugin]

14. No knocking from me either...

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is beneficial in so many ways. Yes, it also helps with COVID, but, it is not specific to that.

[mitch96]

9. I don't know about Covid but it sure helps me loose the "quarantine 15" I've accumulated

I've tried all sorts of intermittent fasting protocols and the 18/6 works for me. About a ½ lb a week. I stop eating at around 6pm and don't eat again till noon the next day. I normally eat a whole food plant based diet so it's kinda sorta healthy. YMMV
This is my go to guy on health. A medical doctor who reads all the journals, deciphers them and publishes the results in laymans language.
He's not selling anything accept some tee shirts.
I'm cooking up some Navy beans,kale,mushrooms and quinoa for lunch, yum
I just read the transcripts to get the info quick. YMMV
m
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-5-2-diet-and-the-fasting-mimicking-diet-put-to-the-test/
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-benefits-of-early-time-restricted-eating/
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/fasting-to-naturally-reverse-high-blood-pressure/
This PHD at UC Davis has done a bunch of studies on animals and people on healthy longevity
https://gero.usc.edu/2022/04/28/valter-longo-longevity-diet/

[Edim]

17. Very much so.

Healthy diet and that includes intermittent and other forms of fasting, low carb, low processed food, low seed oils... plus physical activity is the best one can do. It's almost a cure all.

Physical inactivity is associated with a higher risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes: a study in 48 440 adult patients

"It is notable that being consistently inactive was a stronger risk factor for severe COVID-19 outcomes than any of the underlying medical conditions and risk factors identified by CDC except for age and a history of organ transplant. In fact, physical inactivity was the strongest risk factor across all outcomes, compared with the commonly cited modifiable risk factors, including smoking, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and cancer."

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/55/19/1099
https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/physical-activity-and-COVID-19.html#:~:text=People%20who%20do%20little%20or,while%20inactivity%20increases%20that%20risk.

[Edim]

18. More links (fasting and covid):

Fasting off “The COVID-19”
"The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak has led to an increase in sedentary lifestyles compounded with the loss of access to public exercise facilities and limited fresh grocery supply. With the multitude of possible diet options available, how do you choose one that works with your lifestyle, financial means, and ultimately proves to be most effective? In this article, we review the medical benefits and challenges of several different types of fasting diets that can be adopted by the general public."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8029627/#:~:text=With%20this%20intermittent%20fasting%20strategy,two%20days%20of%20the%20week.&text=This%20diet%20is%20appealing%20in,be%20spread%20throughout%20the%20week.

This is the study mentioned in the OP:
"Association of periodic fasting with lower severity of COVID-19 outcomes in the SARS-CoV-2 prevaccine era: an observational cohort from the INSPIRE registry"
"Conclusions Routine periodic fasting was associated with a lower risk of hospitalisation or mortality in patients with COVID-19. Fasting may be a complementary therapy to vaccination that could provide immune support and hyperinflammation control during and beyond the pandemic."
https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2022/06/30/bmjnph-2022-000462