Intermittent Fasting and Reduction of Inflammatory Response in a Patient with Ulcerative Colitis

Medicina (Kaunas). 2023 Aug 11;59(8):1453. doi: 10.3390/medicina59081453.

Abstract

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease that affects the colon, generating a crisis period associated with diarrhea and ulcerations. Stress plays a pivotal role in modulating the inflammatory response and aggravating progression. Different studies have shown that fasting reduces inflammation markers, and intermittent fasting decreases inflammatory markers such as IL-2, IL-6, and RCP. Goal: To evaluate the impact of intermittent fasting on a patient diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. A female patient underwent intermittent fasting (10/14) for eight weeks. Clinical tests were performed for blood count, RCP, biochemical profile, glycemia, and T4/TSH levels. Fecal calprotectin was determined. Clinical exams were assessed before and after intermittent fasting. Inflammation markers, such as CRP and calprotectin, were significantly reduced after eight weeks of intermittent fasting. The patient reported feeling better and was seizure-free during the following months when she continued fasting intermittently. Intermittent fasting allowed for a reduction in inflammation markers.

Keywords: CRP; fecal calprotectin; inflammation; intermittent fasting; ulcerative colitis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Colitis, Ulcerative* / complications
  • Fasting
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Inflammation
  • Intermittent Fasting
  • Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex

Substances

  • Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the “Regular Research Project Contest”, grant number “DI-04/23”, entitled “Prevalence of polymorphisms rs1861868-FTO and rs7975232-VDR in Chilean women and their association with BMI, anthropometry, and cardiovascular risk factors according to the consumption of estrogen-based contraceptives”, awarded by the Research Department of the Universidad de las Américas, Providencia, Chile.