Intermittent Fasting and Time-Restricted Eating

Fasting triggers autophagy, the cellular cleaning process removing damaged proteins and organelles contributing to inflammatory signaling. A 2019 Cell Metabolism RCT showed 16:8 time-restricted eating reduced CRP by 31 percent, IL-6 by 25 percent, and TNF-alpha by 18 percent versus unrestricted eating matched for calories over 12 weeks. The mechanism includes reduced oxidative stress from lower peak glucose, increased NAD+ activating anti-inflammatory sirtuins, and microbiome changes improving gut barrier integrity.