Fasting has become popular for its numerous health benefits, such as improving gut health, delaying age-related diseases, and extending lifespan. However, a recent study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on mice showed both the benefits and risks of fasting: while fasting improved cell regeneration, eating after a fast may increase the risks of developing cancer, depending on what is consumed. “In humans, it’s going to be a much more complex state,” Ömer Yilmaz, MIT associate professor of biology and senior author of the study, said in a press release.
Immediately after food is introduced, the intestinal stem cells, which renew the intestinal lining every five to ten days, start to regenerate and proliferate. The authors found that eating food after a period of fasting increases the healing ability of intestinal stem cells, enhancing their ability to maintain and repair the gut lining, which helps to protect against infections and aids digestion. Researchers studied three groups of mice: one that fasted for 24 hours, another that fasted and then refed for 24 hours, and a control group that ate continuously.
The stem cells in the mice who ate after fasting showed the most active stem cell growth, surpassing those in the continuously fed and fasting-only group. When people start to eat after a fast, their stem cells start regenerating and proliferating, which, while beneficial for healing, also creates conditions conducive to cancerous growth if carcino.