Noninvasive Sound Technology Breaks Down Tumors, Kills Cancer Cells, and Spurs the Immune System

By UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN APRIL 19, 2022

The 700kHz, 260-element histotripsy ultrasound array transducer used in Prof. Xu’s lab. Credit: Photo by Marcin Szczepanski/Lead Multimedia Storyteller, Michigan Engineering

Tumors Partially Destroyed With Sound Don’t Come Back

A new technique pioneered in rats at the University of Michigan could improve outcomes for cancer and neurological conditions.

Noninvasive sound technology developed at the University of Michigan breaks down liver tumors in rats, kills cancer cells, and spurs the immune system to prevent further spread—an advance that could lead to improved cancer outcomes in humans.

By destroying only 50% to 75% of liver tumor volume, the rats’ immune systems were able to clear away the rest, with no evidence of recurrence or metastases in more than 80% of the animals.

“Even if we don’t target the entire tumor, we can still cause the tumor to regress and also reduce the risk of future metastasis,” said Zhen Xu, professor of biomedical engineering at U-M and corresponding author of the study in Cancers.

Zhen Xu, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan works in her office. Dr. Xu’s research focuses on developing new ultrasound technique for treatment of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological diseases. She and her colleagues have developed histotripsy, an ultrasound ablation technique via controlled cavitation. Histotripsy is the first image-guided ablation technique that is non-invasive, non-ionizing, and non-thermal. Dr. Xu’s work spans from basic science, device development, preclinical investigations, to clinical translation of histotripsy. Credit: Photo by Marcin Szczepanski/Lead Multimedia Storyteller, Michigan Engineering

Results also showed the treatment stimulated the rats’ immune responses, possibly contributing to the eventual regression of the untargeted portion of the tumor and preventing further spread of the cancer.

The treatment, called histotripsy, noninvasively focuses ultrasound waves to mechanically destroy target tissue with millimeter precision. The relatively new technique is currently being used in a human liver cancer trial in the United States and Europe.

In many clinical situations, the entirety of a cancerous tumor cannot be targeted directly in treatments for reasons that include the mass’ size, location or stage. To investigate the effects of partially destroying tumors with sound, this latest study targeted only a portion of each mass, leaving behind a viable intact tumor. It also allowed the team, including researchers at Michigan Medicine and the Ann Arbor VA Hospital, to show the approach’s effectiveness under less than optimal conditions.

Zhen Xu,Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan (left) and Tejaswi Worlikar, Biomedical Engineering PhD student discuss the 700kHz, 260-element histotripsy ultrasound array transducer they use in Prof. Xu’s lab. Credit: Photo by Marcin Szczepanski/Lead Multimedia Storyteller, Michigan Engineering

“Histotripsy is a promising option that can overcome the limitations of currently available ablation modalities and provide safe and effective noninvasive liver tumor ablation,” said Tejaswi Worlikar, a doctoral student in biomedical engineering. “We hope that our learnings from this study will motivate future preclinical and clinical histotripsy investigations toward the ultimate goal of clinical adoption of histotripsy treatment for liver cancer patients.”

Liver cancer ranks among the top 10 causes of cancer related deaths worldwide and in the U.S. Even with multiple treatment options, the prognosis remains poor with five-year survival rates less than 18% in the U.S. The high prevalence of tumor recurrence and metastasis after initial treatment highlights the clinical need for improving outcomes of liver cancer.

Where a typical ultrasound uses sound waves to produce images of the body’s interior, U-M engineers have pioneered the use of those waves for treatment. And their technique works without the harmful side effects of current approaches such as radiation and chemotherapy.

Zhen Xu, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan (center) and Tejaswi Worlikar, Biomedical Engineering PhD student (right) move the 700kHz, 260-element histotripsy ultrasound array transducer they use in Prof. Xu’s lab. Credit: Photo by Marcin Szczepanski/Lead Multimedia Storyteller, Michigan Engineering

“Our transducer, designed and built at U-M, delivers high amplitude microsecond-length ultrasound pulses—acoustic cavitation—to focus on the tumor specifically to break it up,” Xu said. “Traditional ultrasound devices use lower amplitude pulses for imaging.”

The microsecond long pulses from UM’s transducer generate microbubbles within the targeted tissues—bubbles that rapidly expand and collapse. These violent but extremely localized mechanical stresses kill cancer cells and break up the tumor’s structure.

Reference: “Impact of Histotripsy on Development of Intrahepatic Metastases in a Rodent Liver Tumor Model” by Tejaswi Worlikar, Man Zhang, Anutosh Ganguly, Timothy L. Hall, Jiaqi Shi, Lili Zhao, Fred T. Lee, Mishal Mendiratta-Lala, Clifford S. Cho and Zhen Xu, 22 March 2022, Cancers.
DOI: 10.3390/cancers14071612

Since 2001, Xu’s laboratory at U-M has pioneered the use of histotripsy in the fight against cancer, leading to the clinical trial #HOPE4LIVER sponsored by HistoSonics, a U-M spinoff company. More recently, the group’s research has produced promising results on histotripsy treatment of brain therapy and immunotherapy.

The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, Focused Ultrasound Foundation, VA Merit Review, U-M’s Forbes Institute for Discovery and Michigan Medicine-Peking University Health Sciences Center Joint Institute for Translational and Clinical Research.

The Brain’s Alarm System To Suppress Intrusive Thoughts and Inhibit Unwanted Memories

By SOCIETY FOR NEUROSCIENCE APRIL 18, 2022

New research shows that to suppress intrusive thoughts, the brain uses an alarm system that alerts other regions to inhibit them.

A brain region can proactively and reactively detect the need to inhibit unwanted memories.

Forget what you saw: a brain region detects when you are about to think of an unwanted memory and alerts other regions to suppress it, according to research published in JNeurosci today (April 18, 2022). JNeurosci is the Society for Neuroscience’s first journal.

A model of how the ACC proactively and reactively signals the need for thought suppression. Credit: Crespo García et al., JNeurosci 2022

Crespo García et al. measured participants’ brain activity with both EEG and fMRI while they completed a memory task. The participants memorized sets of words (i.e., gate and train) and were asked to either recall a cue word’s pair (see gate, think about train) or only focus on the cue word (see gate, only think about gate).

During proactive memory suppression, activity increased in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a brain region involved in cognitive control, within the first 500 milliseconds of the task. The ACC relayed information to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), which then inhibited activity in the hippocampus, a key region for memory recall.

The activity levels in the ACC and DLPFC remained low for the rest of the trial, a sign of success — the memory was stopped early enough so no more suppression was needed. If the memory was not suppressed in time, the ACC generated a reactive alarm, increasing its activity to signal to the DLPFC to stop the intrusion.

Reference: “Anterior Cingulate Cortex Signals the Need to Control Intrusive Thoughts During Motivated Forgetting” by Maité Crespo García, Yulin Wang, Mojun Jiang, Michael C. Anderson and Xu Lei, 18 April 2022, JNeurosci.
DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1711-21.2022 

Substance Derived From Licorice May Have Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Cancer Effects

By UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO APRIL 17, 2022

Licorice root and black licorice candy. A licorice-derived substance may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects.

Researchers look to licorice for promising cancer treatments.

Licorice is more than a candy people either love or hate — it may play a role in preventing or treating certain types of cancer, according to researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago.

Gnanasekar Munirathinam and his research team are studying substances derived from the licorice plant Glycyrrhiza glabra to determine if they could be used to prevent or stop the growth of prostate cancer. Munirathinam is an associate professor in the department of biomedical sciences at the College of Medicine Rockford.

A research review into molecular insights of a licorice-derived substance called glycyrrhizin for preventing or treating cancer conducted by Dr. Munirathinam and student researchers suggests further research could lead to specific agents for clinical use.

The journal Pharmacological Research recently published the study titled “Oncopreventive and oncotherapeutic potential of licorice triterpenoid compound glycyrrhizin and its derivatives: Molecular insights.”

“When we look at the research out there and our own data, it appears that glycyrrhizin and its derivative glycyrrhetinic acid have great potential as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer agents,” Munirathinam said. “More research is needed into exactly how these could best be used to develop therapies, but this appears to be a promising area of cancer research.”

Should everyone go out and eat a bunch of licorice? Probably not, because it may affect blood pressure, interact with certain medications, and cause serious adverse effects, including death, when used excessively. An occasional sweet treat of licorice candy or tea may be better options until more studies can show how to best harness the plant’s benefits.

“Very few clinical trials in humans have been conducted,” Munirathinam said. “We hope our research on prostate cancer cells advances the science to the point where therapies can be translated to help prevent or even cure prostate and other types of cancer.”

Reference: “Oncopreventive and oncotherapeutic potential of licorice triterpenoid compound glycyrrhizin and its derivatives: Molecular insights” by Rifika Jain, Mohamed Ali Hussein, Shannon Pierce, Chad Martens, Preksha Shahagadkar and Gnanasekar Munirathinam, 19 February 2022, Pharmacological Research.
DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106138

College of Medicine Rockford students Rifika Jain, Mohamed Ali Hussein, Preksha Shahagadkar, Shannon Pierce and Chad Martens are co-authors of the review, which was partly supported by the National Institutes of Health (R0CA227218) and Brovember Inc.

Happiness Is a Salad: Strong Correlations Between What We Eat and How We Feel

By SCITECHDAILY.COM APRIL 17, 2022

There are strong correlations between what we eat and how we feel, according to the relatively new field of nutritional psychiatry, and healthy food is happy food.

Many of us — in the West, at least — seem to suffer from what psychologists call the “Unhealthy = Tasty Intuition”: we subconsciously assume that healthy foods are not as tasty, enjoyable, or satisfying as unhealthy foods.^[1] This belief seems to lead to a particular dislike for vegetables^[2] and, although it is not shared by everyone — specifically, not by people who enjoy eating and are interested in health^[3] — recent research suggests that, due to rapid globalization and urbanization, the beliefs that we have about food are converging across many different cultures.^[4]

For the most part, it seems, many of us will go out of our way to avoid wholesome foods, even if we want to eat healthily.^[5] This is unfortunate because, according to the relatively new field of nutritional psychiatry, there are strong correlations between what we eat and how we feel, and healthy food is happy food.

The effect of fruits and vegetables on mood was investigated in a meta-analysis of studies from seven countries. It discovered strong evidence that people who eat vegetables and fruits have better psychological and physical health.

A handful of greens keeps the blues away

In 2021, a meta-analysis of studies from seven countries that specifically investigated the impact of fruits and vegetables on the mood of people aged between 15 and 45 found strong evidence that individuals who eat vegetables and fruits enjoy better psychological — as well as physical — well-being.^[6] In fact, research has consistently found that, compared with diets rich in sugar and fats and woefully short on veggies — so-called “Western diets” — those that are rich in vegetables, fruit, and unprocessed grains can reduce the risk of depression by up to 35 percent.^[7] The positive effect of healthy eating on happiness seems to be universal; from America to France to Russia and beyond^[8], people of all ages, sexes, and races feel happier after eating their recommended daily servings of fruit and vegetables.

The mental health benefits of eating fruit and vegetables are not to be sniffed at. A recent study that examined the eating habits of over 12,000 Australians aged 15 years and older over a period of several years found that people who went from eating no fresh produce to eating some every day reported an increase in happiness and life satisfaction equivalent to what an unemployed person feels after finding work. The authors concluded, “These findings are consistent with the idea that eating certain foods is a form of investment in future happiness and well-being.”^[9]

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables may quickly produce psychological benefits.

Psychological benefits can be achieved quickly: one study of 100 university students found that choosing a piece of fruit — an apple, large clementine, or banana — instead of chocolate wafers or potato chips to snack on every day reduced fatigue and anxiety in just 10 days.^[10] Another study using data from daily food diaries kept by 281 students who were tracked over a 3-week period found that people who ate a lot of fruits and vegetables on one day reported greater emotional well-being on the next day.^[11]

Fruit and veggies also provide more immediate happiness than other food groups according to a 2017 study from Germany. For eight days, 38 university students were asked to report what they were eating and how much pleasure it gave them real-time via an app on their cellphones. The researchers found that, among 14 different food categories, vegetables accounted for the most “in the moment” eating happiness, followed by grain products like bread, pasta, and cereals, and only then by unhealthy snacks like sweets, chips, and pastries.^[12]

In short, a handful of M&Ms might make you feel good, but a handful of grapes will probably make you feel better. This may sound counter-intuitive, but recent research has also effectively demonstrated that we don’t know what kind of foods will make us happy.^[13]

Better health does not fully explain the effect of healthy eating on happiness. This means that eating well has an impact on happiness in other ways.

How does it work?

We know that healthy eating will add to good health and that good health will add to happiness. However, the effect of healthy eating on happiness is not fully explained by better health. This means that healthy food affects happiness in other ways.

How, exactly, eating your 5-a-day will make you a happier person is not yet known, but there are several theories.^[14] Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of B vitamins, notably folate. Folate plays an important role in the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and epinephrine, all of which play a critical role in mood regulation. Fruits and vegetables also contain minerals like iron, calcium, and magnesium that have all been positively linked to psychological health,^[15] and they are rich in antioxidants like vitamins C and E and polyphenols which protect against oxidative stress that can be bad for mental health. In one study, eating just 2 kiwi fruit a day for six weeks was enough to produce a measurable increase in vitamin C levels and a corresponding improvement in the mood of 35 healthy young men. After their kiwi cure, the men who had reported feeling unhappy at the beginning of the study all reported feeling significantly more cheerful, energetic, and lively at the end.^[16]

A measurable increase in vitamin C levels and a corresponding improvement in mood were achieved by eating just two kiwi fruit per day for six weeks, according to a research study.

Nutritional psychiatrists also believe that there is a link between how you feel and the kinds of bacteria that live in your gut. The “good” bacteria that make up your intestinal microbiome affect the degree of inflammation throughout your body, as well as your mood and energy level. These bacteria love snacking on high-fiber foods like fruits and vegetables. When they metabolize their meals, they create by-products — one of those by-products is the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin. In fact, about 95% of your serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal tract.

Finally, some research has shown that simply knowing that the food they are eating is healthy is enough to make some people feel happier.^[17] Ultimately, it is probably a combination of all these reasons and perhaps a few more that we currently don’t know about that explains how produce promotes happiness.

Most happiness appears to be achieved by eating more than three portions of fruit and vegetables per day.

An apple a day is a good start

More than three portions of fruit and vegetables per day seem to produce the most happiness, though how many more and for what kind of people is not yet established. An analysis of the survey data of 80,000 Brits concluded that people reached peak well-being at around 7 portions of fruit and vegetables per day.^[18] But, although the more fruits and greens you eat, the better your mental well-being is likely to be, you don’t have to get carried away: even one extra daily portion of fruit or vegetable has been shown to improve a person’s feelings of well-being.^[19]

Better psychological outcomes seem to be associated with the consumption of fresh fruit and raw vegetables rather than cooked vegetables.^[20] In one study, students who ate less than 3 combined servings of fruit and vegetables per day were split into two groups and subjected to a 2-week healthy eating intervention. Those who ate high-quality raw produce showed improvements in their psychological well-being, whereas those who ate their vegetables cooked in casseroles or mixed into their main meals did not.^[21]

Fresh fruit and raw vegetables, rather than cooked, appear to be associated with better psychological outcomes.

At the end of the day, the important takeaway is that, raw or cooked, fruit and veggies will improve the quality of your life. Research indicates that good cheer is boosted by the cumulative effects of a broad spectrum of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, rather than from any single nutrient. So the best way to avoid the blues is to eat your way through a rainbow of vegetables and fruit. Veggie-avoiders, don’t despair; you can start small, perhaps by adding some berries to your breakfast or some spinach to your lunch wrap, and go from there. Bon appétit and good mental health!

References:

1. Raghunathan, R., Naylor, R. W., & Hoyer, W. D. (2006). The Unhealthy = Tasty Intuition and Its Effects on Taste Inferences, Enjoyment, and Choice of Food Products. Journal of Marketing, 70(4), 170-184.
2. Briers, B., Huh, Y. E., Chan, E., & Mukhopadhyay, A. (2020). The unhealthy = tasty belief is associated with BMI through reduced consumption of vegetables: A cross-national and mediational analysis. Appetite, 150, 104639.
3. Haasova, S., & Florack, A. (2019). Practicing the (un)healthy = tasty intuition: Toward an ecological view of the relationship between health and taste in consumer judgments. Food Quality and Preference, 75, 39-53.
4. Cooremans, K., Geuens, M., & Pandelaere, M. (2017). Cross-national investigation of the drivers of obesity: Re-assessment of past findings and avenues for the future. Appetite, 114, 360-367.
5. Mai, R. & Hoffmann, S. & Hoppert, K. & Schwarz, P. & Rohm, H. (2014). The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak: The moderating effect of implicit associations on healthy eating behaviors. Food Quality and Preference, 39, 62-72.
6. Dharmayani, P., Juergens, M., Allman-Farinelli, M., & Mihrshahi, S. (2021). Association between Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Depression Symptoms in Young People and Adults Aged 15-45: A Systematic Review of Cohort Studies. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(2), 780.
7. Ljungberg, T., Bondza, E., & Lethin, C. (2020). Evidence of the Importance of Dietary Habits Regarding Depressive Symptoms and Depression. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(5), 1616.
8. Veenhoven, R. (2021). Will Healthy Eating Make You Happier? A Research Synthesis Using an Online Findings Archive. Applied Research Quality Life, 16, 221-240.
9. Mujcic, R., & J Oswald, A. (2016). Evolution of Well-Being and Happiness After Increases in Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables. American journal of public health, 106(8), 1504-1510.
10. Smith, A.P., & Rogers, R. (2014). Positive effects of a healthy snack (fruit) versus an unhealthy snack (chocolate/crisps) on subjective reports of mental and physical health: A preliminary intervention study. Frontiers in Nutrition, 1, 1-5.
11. White, B. A., Horwath, C. C., & Conner, T. S. (2013). Many apples a day keep the blues away — daily experiences of negative and positive affect and food consumption in young adults. British journal of health psychology, 18(4), 782-798.
12. Wahl, D. R., Villinger, K., König, L. M., Ziesemer, K., Schupp, H. T., & Renner, B. (2017). Healthy food choices are happy food choices: Evidence from a real life sample using smartphone based assessments. Scientific reports, 7(1), 17069.
13. Villinger, K., Wahl, D. R., König, L. M., Ziesemer, K., Butscher, S., Müller, J., Reiterer, H., Schupp, H. & Renner, B. (2020). Do we know what we enjoy? Accuracy of forecasted eating happiness. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1187.
14. Rooney, C., McKinley, M., & Woodside, J. (2013). The potential role of fruit and vegetables in aspects of psychological well-being: A review of the literature and future directions. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 72(4), 420-432.
15. Kaplan, B. J., Crawford, S. G., Field, C. J., & Simpson, J. S. (2007). Vitamins, minerals, and mood. Psychological bulletin, 133(5), 747-760.
16. Carr, A. C., S. M. Bozonet, J. M. Pullar and M. C. M. Vissers. 2013. Mood improvement in young adult males following supplementation with gold kiwifruit, a high-vitamin C food. Journal of Nutritional Science 2:e24.
17. Lattimore, P., Walton, J., Bartlett, S., Hackett, A., & Stevenson, L. (2010). Regular consumption of a cereal breakfast. Effects on mood and body image satisfaction in adult non-obese women. Appetite, 55(3), 512-521.
18. Blanchfower, D. G., Oswald, A. J. & Stewart-Brown, S. (2013). Is psychological well-being linked to the consumption of fruit and vegetables? Social Indicators Research, 114(3), 785-801.
19. Ocean, N., Howley, P., & Ensor, J. (2019). Lettuce be happy: A longitudinal UK study on the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and well-being. Social science & medicine (1982), 222, 335-345.
20. Brookie, K. L., Best, G. I., & Conner, T. S. (2018). Intake of Raw Fruits and Vegetables Is Associated With Better Mental Health Than Intake of Processed Fruits and Vegetables. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 487.
21. Conner, T. S., Brookie, K. L., Carr, A. C., Mainvil, L. A., & Vissers, M. C. (2017). Let them eat fruit! The effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on psychological well-being in young adults: A randomized controlled trial. PloS one, 12(2), e0171206.

4 Science-Backed Benefits of Your Morning Cup of Coffee

By SCITECHDAILY.COM APRIL 18, 2022

Coffee may reduce the risk of some cancers, act as an anti-depressant, reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and lower the risk of Parkinson’s Disease.

It’s the first thing that many people reach for in the morning, but can that early cup of coffee be doing more good than just shaking off the tiredness? The science indicates it’s a resounding yes! Not only does coffee keep you alert, but you’re also giving your body a substantial boost. So, just what benefits can that morning brew bring you?

Coffee Reduces the Risk of Certain Cancers

Despite what some think, there is no evidence that coffee contains carcinogens. All the research actually points to the opposite view: coffee can help prevent cancer.^[1] Both the high level of polyphenols found in coffee and the caffeine itself can inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Coffee also stimulates bile production and lowers estrogen levels, reducing the risk of cancer.

Coffee Can Act As an Anti-Depressant

Depression can be a debilitating illness and one that is very difficult to cure. The causes of depression are not thoroughly understood, although inflammation of brain cells is thought to play a role. The polyphenols in coffee act as antioxidants that reduce the oxidative stress that triggers inflammation.^[2] Studies show that even one cup a day improves symptoms, but the more you have, the better protection you get.^[2]

Coffee doesn’t just help you stay alert: it may provide health benefits related to cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s Disease, and depression.

Coffee Reduces the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Another little-known benefit of coffee consumption is the reduced likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. Studies show that a single cup can reduce your chances by about 8%, increasing to around 30% the more you drink.^[3] The benefit is thought to come from magnesium and polyphenols, which help to regulate glucose metabolism.

Coffee Lowers the Risk of Developing Parkinson’s Disease

Studies show that caffeinated coffee consumption can significantly reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease later in life.^[4] The primary cause of Parkinson’s is a low level of dopamine. Coffee helps prevent the disease from developing by protecting the cells in the brain that produce this hormone. However, caffeine is responsible for this protection, so decaffeinated coffee does not provide the same benefits.

While most drink coffee for the energy boost and the delicious taste, it also provides numerous health benefits. The most help comes from drinking a moderate amount, around 3-5 cups a day. However, there do not appear to be many drawbacks to having more if your stomach and sleep pattern can cope with it!

References:

1. Coffee: Lowers Risk of Liver and Endometrial Cancers, The American Institute for Cancer Research. aicr.org/cancer-prevention/food-facts/coffee/
2. “Sweetened Beverages, Coffee, and Tea and Depression Risk among Older US Adults” by Xuguang Guo, Yikyung Park, Neal D. Freedman, Rashmi Sinha, Albert R. Hollenbeck, Aaron Blair and Honglei Chen, 17 April 2014, PLOS ONE.
   DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094715
3. “Caffeinated and Decaffeinated Coffee Consumption and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and a Dose-Response Meta-analysis” by Ming Ding, Shilpa N. Bhupathiraju, Mu Chen, Rob M. van Dam and Frank B. Hu, 11 January 2014, Diabetes Care.
   DOI: 10.2337/dc13-1203
4. “Caffeine Exposure and the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies” João Costa, Nuno Lunet, Catarina Santos, João Santos and António Vaz-Carneiro, 14 April 2010, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
   DOI: 10.3233/JAD-2010-091525

16/8 Intermittent Fasting: A Beginner’s Guide

By SCITECHDAILY.COM APRIL 19, 2022

Although it isn’t a silver bullet, research has shown health benefits from intermittent fasting, including weight loss, reduced inflammation, and improved immune system.

Are you looking to start 16/8 intermittent fasting? This beginner’s guide will give you all the information you need to get started. This post will discuss what a 16/8 intermittent fast is, the benefits of fasting, and how to make it work for you. It also will provide some tips on how to ease into fasting and make it a successful habit for your health.

What is a 16/8 intermittent fast?

A 16/8 fast is an intermittent fasting protocol where you restrict your eating to an eight-hour window each day. This leaves a 16-hour fasting period in which your body can burn stored energy, repair cells, and promote autophagy. Autophagy is the process by which your body breaks down and recycles old or damaged cells.

There are many benefits to intermittent fasting, including weight loss, increased energy levels, and improved brain function. Fasting can also help to increase your lifespan and protect against chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Some research indicates that intermittent fasting could extend your healthy lifespan.

How can I make a 16/8 fast work for me?

If you’re new to fasting, it’s important to ease into it. Start by fasting for 12 hours per day and gradually increase your fasting period until you reach the 16-hour mark. It’s also important to plan your meals in advance and make sure you’re eating nutrient-rich foods that will keep you satisfied throughout the day.

To make your fast easier, try to schedule it around your daily routine. If you know you won’t be able to eat until noon, for example, make breakfast your last meal of the day and skip dinner. You can also drink plenty of water and herbal tea during your fasting period to keep your energy levels up.

Intermittent Fasting Research

Here are some of the latest research studies on intermittent fasting (not necessarily the 16/8 fast specifically) and time-restricting eating that have been featured on SciTechDaily.com:

• Research Shows Intermittent Fasting Works for Weight Loss
• Low-Frequency Intermittent Fasting Helps Fight Inflammation
• Fasting Acts As Diet Catalyst – Intensifies Effects of Switching to a Healthy Diet
• Time-Restricted Eating Has Important Health Benefits – Even With Infectious Diseases Such As COVID-19
• Intermittent Fasting Can Help Prevent and Manage Chronic Diseases Such As Diabetes and Heart Disease
• Johns Hopkins Study Suggests Intermittent Fasting for a Longer, Healthier Life
• New Research: Intermittent Fasting “No Magic Bullet for Weight Loss”
• Intermittent Fasting Improves Health Without Altering the Body’s Core Clock
• Surprising Impact on Fat Metabolism: How Intermittent Fasting Changes Liver Enzymes and Helps Prevent Disease
• Intermittent Fasting and Manipulating Mitochondrial Networks May Increase Lifespan

Conclusion

In review, a 16/8 intermittent fast can be a great way to improve your health and well-being. There are many benefits to intermittent fasting, including weight loss, increased energy levels, and improved brain function. If you’re new to fasting, it’s important to ease into it, drink plenty of water, and eat nutrient-dense foods during your eating window.