About this Research Topic

Background

Intermittent fasting (IF) is rapidly gaining interest across scientific disciplines and also in the general community. The practice of IF is a safe and costless measure that offers health improvement and disease prevention, in particular, in the context of chronic metabolic diseases. One of the most commonly practiced models of IF at the global level is the religious form of obligatory intermittent fasting observed annually in the month of Ramadan by about 1.5 billion Muslim people. A growing body of literature accumulated during the last two decades provides evidence that observing this one-month religious fasting, lasting between 12-17 hours a day depending on the location and season, provides metabolic and physiological benefits.

The many health benefits of Ramadan Intermittent Fasting (RIF) include improvements in body weight, body composition, reducing complications of metabolic syndrome, improving lipid profile, and other cardiometabolic risk factors. Further, RIF helps improving glucose homeostasis, ameliorating inflammatory and oxidative stress markers, and modulating gene expression of various components of the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant defense systems. Despite being the most extensively studied form of IF, many gaps remain in our understanding of the versatile effects of RIF in healthy people, including athletes. Further, it is unclear how the observance of RIF affects patients with illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. More information is needed on the effects of RIF on different body systems and the possible epigenetic changes produced by this religious practice. A better understanding of RIF will help to optimize the practice of RIF, maximize its health benefits, and guide healthcare providers to better advise their chronically ill patients on matters related to Ramadan fasting.

This Research Topic aims to provide a comprehensive view of studies related to RIF with a focus on observational and interventional studies in humans and animals, as well as in vitro models of RIF. Systematic reviews, meta-analysis, narrative and scoping reviews, original research, methods, mini-reviews, perspectives, and opinion articles addressing various aspects of RIF, including but not limited to the following topics are welcome:

- Lipidomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics
- Autophagy, stress resistance, and aging markers
- Brain health, cognitive functions, neuroplasticity, and neuro-inflammation
- Dietary intakes and eating behaviors
- Bodyweight and body composition changes, with emphasis on visceral adiposity and muscle mass
- Cardiometabolic and atherogenic risk factors
- Glucose homeostasis markers
- Circadian rhythm hormones
- Pro-inflammatory, anti-inflammatory, and oxidative stress markers
- Gut microbiota and human microflora
- Immunomodulatory chemokines and adipocytokines
- RIF amid COVID-19 pandemic: bidirectional effect
- Liver function tests, and markers of NAFLD and steatosis
- Fluid balance and kidney function
- Genetic expressions and epigenetic changes for variable genes related to human metabolism, metabolic oscillations, and bioenergetics of fasting during Ramadan.
- Patients who self-decided to observe the RIF with various diseases such as inflammatory bowel diseases and autoimmune diseases, diabetes, and cancer.
- Experimental models to study the effect of RIF model on variable health aspects

Keywords: Intermittent fasting, Ramadan, Caloric restriction, Time-restricted feeding, Diurnal fasting

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