Scientists provide novel insights into the effects of alternate day fasting on atherosclerosis (Fasting gives some good blood numbers, but still builds “cholesterol” plaques with high fat/high carb diet)

Medical Xpress / Frontiers Journals / Life Metabolism ^ | March 22, 2024 | Yajuan Deng et al

[ConservativeMind]

Alternate day fasting (ADF) has gained growing attention due to its dramatic effects on improving disordered metabolic parameters. However, the effects of ADF on atherosclerotic plaque formation remain inconsistent and controversial in atherosclerotic animal models.

Using atherogenic mice, scientists have worked jointly and reported that ADF aggravated Western diet (WD)–induced atherosclerotic lesion formation, and they also validated that such effects were mediated by inhibiting the expression of hepatic activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) under ADF intervention.

The findings suggest the potentially harmful effects when ADF intervention is applied to the population at high risk of atherosclerosis.

In this study, 11-week-old male Apoe−/− mice fed with WD were randomly grouped to ad libitum and ADF group. ADF aggravated WD-induced early and advanced atherosclerotic lesion formation in Apoe−/− mice. Although ADF protected Apoe−/− mice from obesity, hyperglycemia, and fatty liver and promoted energy expenditure, it deteriorated cholesterol profiles as hepatic cholesterol content and circulating cholesterol levels were increased.

Liver RNA sequencing results in these mice demonstrated that ADF treatment significantly inhibited the hepatic integrated stress response (ISR) and decreased hepatic ATF3 expression. Hepatocyte-specific overexpression of Atf3 attenuated the effects of ADF on atherosclerotic plaque formation, indicating that the suppressed ATF3 expression in the liver was one of the contributing factors that mediated the modulatory effects of ADF on hepatic cholesterol accumulation and circulating cholesterol profile.

The expression of ATF3 had a significant relevance with the expression of Krüppel-like factor 6 (KLF6). Mechanistically, ADF inhibited hepatic ISR and decreased the expression of KLF6 and ATF3.

ATF3 could act as a downstream component of ISR in the liver and the study shed light on the role of hepatic ATF3 in mediating the effects of ADF on atherosclerosis, thus providing evidence supporting the diverse effects of hepatic ISR in regulating cholesterol metabolism and atherosclerosis.

[ConservativeMind]

I have been one of those odd high cholesterol responders when eating under 50 grams of net carbs a day and doing intermittent fasting. My total, HDL, and LDL were all high, but my LDL was fairly higher than it should have been.

I have generally been okay with it, because my HbA1c and inflammatory markers are all great, and my liver checks out as not fatty, at all, and I am not obese, but am overweight a bit. However, I have been concerned with the high LDL. This study points to these same general results, yet, the high cholesterol/LDL is still making plaques, because the liver appears to be affected in a way that decreases hepatic ATF3 expression, which seems to be responsible for some high cholesterol numbers.

ATF3 is shown in a study to be reduced in people who have diabetes, fatty liver, or who eat the Western diet/Standard American Diet (SAD). It also seems 24-hour fasting does not help, but further hurts SAD eaters, despite helping some blood numbers and making people generally feel better.

This is strange, but greatly implies an unintended consequence from a liver process that wasn’t previously known.

The quote from above that most shows this:

“Although ADF protected Apoe−/− mice from obesity, hyperglycemia, and fatty liver and promoted energy expenditure, it deteriorated cholesterol profiles as hepatic cholesterol content and circulating cholesterol levels were increased.”

[ConservativeMind]

Hepatocytic Activating Transcription Factor 3 Protects Against Steatohepatitis via Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4α

Results

Hepatic ATF3 Expression Is Reduced in NAFLD Patients and Diabetic or Western Diet-Fed Mice

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8564409/

There doesn't seem to be a way to supplement your way to having greater ATF3 in your body, and you wouldn't want that, anyway. When expressed outside of the liver, it helps with metastasis of cancer and other abnormalities.

You just want what you need, and if low and you know what makes it low, seek to reverse such conditions, and hope the body brings back what you once had, which, in this case, is hepatic ATF3 expression.

You can also work to bring down your cholesterol numbers, which I am doing with more soluble fiber and other approaches.

[ConservativeMind]

The “Take Charge Of Your Health” Ping List
This high volume ping list is for health articles and studies which describe something you or your doctor, when informed, may be able to immediately implement for your benefit.

Email me to get on either the “Common/Top Issues” (20 - 25% fewer pings) or “Everything” list.

[logi_cal869]

Not even close.

Do we train any true scientists anymore?

[DesertRhino]

“Using atherogenic mice lacking apolipoprotein, scientists from Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University and Shanxi Medical University Second Hospital have worked jointly and reported that ADF aggravated Western diet (WD)–induced atherosclerotic lesion formation,“

So it’s a study of western diets, conducted in humanized mice, i a communist Chinese lab.

Ok lol

[JohnnyP]

The low carb and zero carb doctors on youtube say if your triglycerides are low, it almost doesn’t matter what your LDL numbers is.

Dr. Paul Mason has a few videos on LDL that are pretty good.

[sauropod]

.

[jacquej]

My present understanding, from watching Dr. Mason, Dr. Berry, and others, is that the theory that cholesterol isnt the “cause”, but the signal.

Inflammation is the cause, and cholesterol is the body trying to fix the inflamation by applying a “patch or bandaid” over the inflammation.

It is important to address the cause of the inflammation to stop the process, and the best and safest way to do that is by correcting the diet. Quit eating processed foods, seed oils, and eat a “proper human diet”.

And, it is better to start this early on, because the standard American diet is slowly poisoning all of us.

But, do your own research, and understand that a lot of people, including doctors, are unable to grasp the simple truth. Our bodies cant tolerate the “modern American diet, and the consequences of recognizing that fact could be devastating to the food manufacturers and the medical industry..

[Valpal1]

So ADF doesn’t help much id you continue to eat the SAD diet of hihgly processed carbage foods stuffed with seed oils and sugar.

Well, DUH!

I’ve been doing mostly keto, whole foods and fasting for about 5 years, lost weight and my primary is thrilled with my cholesterol levels which have been transformed.

The two things that helped the most IMO were learning to eat kippers and adding a spoonful of olive oil to my morning coffee and evening tea.

I am also not a clean faster. I use heavy cream and olive oil to my to my coffee and bone broth on fasting days. Water only fadts are beyond my discipline capabilities.

[ckilmer]

A book I’m reading says that the problem is not the LDL but rather the small dense LDL. Big fluffy LDL is no problem at all.

[ckilmer]

I dropped 30 lbs since last September and Brought my BMI under 25. I did it by keto and alternate-day fasting. (actually cheat fasting as I put MCT oil and olive oil in my coffee. The olive oil killed my appetite and the MCT oil kept me from getting weak) Also, I exercised in a fasted state regularly. The pounds just peeled off of me.

Now, I could be thinner but the pounds don’t want to fall off of me easily anymore. So I may not go further.

I took a battery of tests. My liver shows no fat at all. The tester said that my liver was so good that—that it would be unlikely that I would show serious cardiovascular issues. I do have some hard plaque build up on one side of my heart. The danger was rated medium. However, the literature says hard plaque is a sign of injury that has healed over. That is, the hard plaque is a protective agent. The soft plaque is dangerous. I completed an ultrasound test on my carotid arteries. it showed that I had reduced the soft p[aque in my left carotid artery over the last 6 months from 50%-60% to 30%-40%. It may well be that by keeping up the same routine over the next year—I can reduce the soft plaque further. In the meantime, the doctors don’t seem to see any issues with soft plaque buildup. They seem to think the ranges are normal.

(The doctor’s opinions are nice but I’m in the centenarian marathon. Most centenarians have a cleaner cardiovascular system at 101 than I do at 71.

Nevertheless, I’m pretty excited about the results.

I had the liver tests because the surface of my liver suggested that I might have cirrhosis of the liver—a reasonable conclusion since I was a heavy drinker until I was 40 years old. Then I stopped cold turkey. The healthy liver showed that my liver regenerated when it was treated properly. Similarly, the soft plaque in my carotids shrank when I treated them properly.

Something to think about.