21 6.4 – Effects of FMD in humans

6.4.1 Glucose level, IGF-1 level, and body weight

Applying FMD in humans are more difficult, it requires a lot of medical and nutritional coordination in order to achieve the beneficial effects (Brandhorst et al. 93). The FMD was tailored to each participant based on their intake ability on micro- and macro-nutrients. Fasting blood glucose and IGF-1 levels were examined, it exhibited a reduction in blood glucose level and circulating IGF-1 by ~11.3% and ~24% respectively (Brandhorst et al. 94). A difference compared to the mice study was that these levels had remained lower than baseline after resuming back to their normal diet. (Brandhorst et al. 94). FMD had also caused a 3% decrease in the body weight in human and remained until the end of the study (Brandhorst et al. 95).

Figure1 (A-C) Measurement of the level of glucose (A), IGF-1 (B), and body weight (C). (Brandhorst et al. 94).

6.4.2 Inflammation and Cardiovascular disease risk factor 

In humans, CRP – the C-reactive protein is an acute inflammatory protein and an important inflammation marker and can detect risk factor for cardiovascular disease (Brandhorst et al. 95). Therefore, if FMD could effectively lower the incidence rate of inflammation and cardiovascular disease, the number of CRP would reduce as well.

In the FMD group, the average CRP level was at moderate risk for cardiovascular disease, which shares the same characteristic to the control group. By the end of the FMD cycle, the CRP levels were reduced to moderate to low (Brandhorst et al. 95). This result suggests that periodic FMD cycles effectively reduced the incidence of inflammation and the risk factors for heart diseases.

Figure 2(A) C-reactive protein (CRP) measurements of all subjects on the left and subjects with average to high risk of cardiovascular disease on the right. (Brandhorst et al. 94).