Interleukin-6, C-Reactive Protein and Biochemical Parameters during Prolonged Intermittent Fasting

TLDR

Ramadan fasting, a month‑long period of 12‑hour daily abstention from food and drink, serves as a natural model of prolonged intermittent fasting that is known to influence nutritional habits and health outcomes. The study followed 40 healthy volunteers who fasted during Ramadan and 28 matched non‑fasting controls, collecting venous blood before, during the last week of, and three weeks after Ramadan to assay IL‑6, CRP, homocysteine, vitamin B12, folate, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, and HDL. Results showed no change in total cholesterol, triglycerides, or LDL, but a reduced TC/HDL ratio and significantly lower IL‑6, CRP, and homocysteine levels during Ramadan in the fasting group, indicating improved inflammatory status and cardiovascular risk factors.

Abstract

<i>Background:</i> It is well known that nutritional habits, sleeping patterns and meal frequency have profound effects on maintaining human health. Ramadan is a religious month for Islam, during which Muslims do not eat and drink during the daylight hours. The duration of restricted food and beverage intake is approximately 12 h/day for 1 month, which makes Ramadan a model of prolonged intermittent fasting. <i>Methods:</i> In order to evaluate the effects of long-lasting modifications of food intake on inflammatory markers and biochemical parameters 40 healthy volunteers of normal weight [20 females aged between 20 and 38 years, 20 males aged between 23 and 39 years, body mass index (BMI) <25 kg/m<sup>2</sup>] who fasted during Ramadan and another 28 healthy age- and BMI-matched volunteers (14 males, 14 females) who did not fast participated in the study. Venous blood samples were taken 1 week before Ramadan, during the last week of Ramadan and 3 weeks after Ramadan. Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), homocysteine, vitamin B<sub>12</sub>, folate, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels were measured. <i>Results:</i> No significant changes were observed in serum total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL levels. TC/HDL ratio (HDL risk factor) was decreased during and after Ramadan in both genders in the fasting group while there were no changes in the nonfasting group. IL-6 (p < 0.001), CRP (p < 0.001) and homocysteine (p < 0.01) levels were significantly low during Ramadan in the fasting subjects of both genders when compared to basal values (1 week before Ramadan). <i>Conclusion:</i> Our results demonstrate that prolonged intermittent fasting in a model like Ramadan has some positive effects on the inflammatory status of the body and on the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as homocysteine, CRP and TC/HDL ratio.