Skipping breakfast and fasting may compromise the immune system
By James Kingsland on February 28, 2023 — Fact checked by Catherine Carver,
MPH
An animal study suggests fasting may negatively affect the immune system.
Fasting has been linked to many health benefits, but a new study in mice
suggests that there may be a cost in terms of reduced immunity.
The study found that immune cells migrated from the animals’ blood to their
bone marrow during fasting and surged back when feeding re-started.Hunger
triggers a hormonal stress response in the brain, which may compel the
immune system to conserve resources when food is scarce.
The research hints that regularly skipping breakfast could compromise
immune defenses in humans, though this has yet to be established.
Breakfast is popularly known as “the most important meal of the day”, but
scientific research into the health effects of skipping breakfast remains
inconclusive.Confusingly, a large number of studies have found that regular daytime
fasting — such as limiting meals to a narrow window of time or
“time-restricted feeding” — has several health benefits.But a new study in mice now suggests that fasting has a potential downside.
The research found that there was a rapid reduction in the number of
circulating immune cells in animals that were not allowed to eat in the
hours after they awoke.
By James Kingsland on February 28, 2023 — Fact checked by Catherine Carver,
MPH
An animal study suggests fasting may negatively affect the immune system.
Fasting has been linked to many health benefits, but a new study in mice
suggests that there may be a cost in terms of reduced immunity.
The study found that immune cells migrated from the animals’ blood to their
bone marrow during fasting and surged back when feeding re-started.Hunger
triggers a hormonal stress response in the brain, which may compel the
immune system to conserve resources when food is scarce.
The research hints that regularly skipping breakfast could compromise
immune defenses in humans, though this has yet to be established.
Breakfast is popularly known as “the most important meal of the day”, but
scientific research into the health effects of skipping breakfast remains
inconclusive.Confusingly, a large number of studies have found that regular daytime
fasting — such as limiting meals to a narrow window of time or
“time-restricted feeding” — has several health benefits.But a new study in mice now suggests that fasting has a potential downside.
The research found that there was a rapid reduction in the number of
circulating immune cells in animals that were not allowed to eat in the
hours after they awoke.
