Fasting reduces severity of Covid

Intermittent fasting—going without food or water for at least 14 hours—can reduce the severity of Covid-19 symptoms.

Regular intermittent fasters are far less likely to suffer serious Covid symptoms or need hospital care, a new study has found.

Fasting reduces inflammation, and after 14 hours without food, the body stops burning glucose and turns to ketones for energy.  The process interferes with the SARS-CoV-2 virus’s ability to spread.

In a study of 205 patients who tested positive for Covid, 73 said they regularly fasted at least once a month, a group that had less severe symptoms and lower rates of hospitalizations, say researchers at Intermountain Healthcare, based at Salt Lake City in Utah.

Around 60 percent of Utah’s population are Mormons, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who typically fast on the first Sunday of every month.  They forgo food and water for two consecutive meals, and so may fast for up to 24 hours.

Most of the participants have been fasting for many years, some for 40 years, and so the regime may not be a quick fix for people who have taken it up only in the past few months, the researchers say.  It may also not be appropriate for the elderly or pregnant women, or people who have diabetes, heart disease or kidney problems.

For those who are healthy, fasting is a great way to maintain good health, and it reduces the risk of developing diabetes or heart disease, the researchers say.  And it can lessen the impact of Covid, it seems.

(Source: BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, 2022; e000462)

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