Research on gut microbiota has increased in popularity over the past decade, with evidence associating different dietary habits with changes in the makeup of the rich ecosystem of microorganisms that performs a variety of functions. These microbiota induce a range of health effects, within and well beyond the gastrointestinal tract. Similarly, intermittent fasting (IF), an umbrella term describing various regimens of periods of voluntary abstinence from food and drink, has classically been associated with favorable impacts on cardiovascular risk factors, body weight, circadian biology, and, more recently, the gut health.
An emerging body of evidence suggests beneficial effects of IF on the health of the gut through increasing the microbial diversity and abundance, with possible clinical implications related to improving the immune function and metabolic status.
Research suggests that intermittent fasting may play a potentially beneficial role in enhancing changes in gut microbiota composition and diversity. Fasting has been demonstrated to increase the abundance of protective, beneficial microbial families. The initial findings may be promising for the use of fasting to beneficially influence and alter the gut microbiota.
DOI: 10.3233/NHA-200098
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