Effects of the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized controlled trial.

Azita Hekmatdoost, Hamed Kord Varkaneh, Heitor O Santos, Mihnea-Alexandru Găman, Ammar Salehi Sahlabadi, Mohsen Rajabnia, Melahat Sedanur Macit-Çelebi

Journal: Frontiers in nutrition 2022;9():948655

PMID: 35958257

Free Full Text on PubMed Central View on PubMed

Plain Language Summary

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with modifiable risk factors such as obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. The 5:2 diet is an intermittent fasting regimen in which you fast for two days and eat liberally for five days per week. Time-restricted eating or intermittent fasting is a great way to limit energy intake and manage metabolic markers, making fasting diets like the 5:2 a viable option for the treatment of NAFLD. In this study, fifty patients with NAFLD were randomly assigned to either the intermittent fasting (5:2) or the control group. In the 5:2 group, the intervention resulted in a modest reduction in calorie intake. Participants on the 5:2 diet showed significant improvements in biomarkers of NAFLD, inflammatory markers, and body composition after 12 weeks of intervention. An evaluation of the effectiveness of a 5:2 diet on improving lipid profiles and diabetes requires further robust research. This study provides healthcare professionals insight into the benefits of implementing intermittent fasting as a cost-effective and safe therapeutic method.

Abstract

[{"label":"BACKGROUND AND AIMS","text":"Dietary regimens are crucial in the management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The effects of intermittent fasting (IF) have gained attention in this regard, but further research is warranted. Thus, we aimed to ascertain the overall effects of the 5:2 IF diet (5 days a week of normal food intake and 2 consecutive fasting days) in patients with NAFLD compared to a control group (usual diet)."},{"label":"METHODS AND RESULTS","text":"A 12-week randomized controlled trial was performed to evaluate the effects of the 5:2 IF diet on anthropometric indices, body composition, liver indices, serum lipids, glucose metabolism, and inflammatory markers in patients with NAFLD. The IF group ( = 21) decreased body weight (86.65 \u00b1 12.57-82.94 \u00b1 11.60 kg), body mass index (30.42 \u00b1 2.27-29.13 \u00b1 1.95 kg\/m), waist circumference (103.52 \u00b1 6.42-100.52 \u00b1 5.64 cm), fat mass (26.64 \u00b1 5.43-23.85 \u00b1 5.85 kg), fibrosis (6.97 \u00b1 1.94-5.58 \u00b1 1.07 kPa), steatosis scores\/CAP (313.09 \u00b1 25.45-289.95 \u00b1 22.36 dB\/m), alanine aminotransferase (41.42 \u00b1 20.98-28.38 \u00b1 15.21 U\/L), aspartate aminotransferase (34.19 \u00b1 10.88-25.95 \u00b1 7.26 U\/L), triglycerides (171.23 \u00b1 39.88-128.04 \u00b1 34.88 mg\/dl), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (2.95 \u00b1 0.62 -2.40 \u00b1 0.64 mg\/L), and cytokeratin-18 (1.32 \u00b1 0.06-1.19 \u00b1 0.05 ng\/ml) values compared to the baseline and the end of the control group ( = 23)- \u2264 0.05 were considered as significant. However, the intervention did not change the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting blood sugar, insulin, HOMA-IR, and total antioxidant capacity."},{"label":"CONCLUSION","text":"Adhering to the 5:2 IF diet can reduce weight loss and related parameters (fat mass and anthropometric indicators of obesity), as well as hepatic steatosis, liver enzymes, triglycerides, and inflammatory biomarkers in patients with NAFLD."},{"copyright":"Copyright \u00a9 2022 Kord Varkaneh, Salehi sahlabadi, G\u0103man, Rajabnia, Sedanur Macit-\u00c7elebi, Santos and Hekmatdoost."}]

Address: Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.; Faculty of Medicine, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.; Center of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, Romania.; Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.; Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey.; School of Medicine, Federal University of Uberlandia (UFU), Uberlândia, Brazil.

DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.948655