Intermittent Fasting and Time-Restricted Eating

Fasting triggers autophagy, the cellular cleaning process that removes damaged proteins and organelles contributing to inflammatory signaling. Trials of 16:8 time-restricted eating have found reductions in inflammatory markers such as CRP, IL-6, and TNF-alpha compared with unrestricted eating matched for calories. The proposed mechanism includes reduced oxidative stress from lower peak glucose, increased NAD+ activating anti-inflammatory sirtuins, and microbiome changes that improve gut barrier integrity.