[tom30]

An interesting article, no mention on MDS or AA.

Fasting regenerates immune system
DDN Correspondent Posted on 08 Jun, 2014 at 04:26:AM IST
A new study has suggested that fasting could help the body to fight off disease by regenerating the immune system. The study added that fasting for two days can regenerate the immune system.

The study is done by scientists from the University of Southern California. They expressed hope that the findings of the study could prove useful for the elderly and people suffering from damaged immune systems.

For the study, the effects of fasting for two to four day periods for six months on both mice and humans were tested by the researchers. In both cases, it was found that long periods of not eating significantly lowered white blood cell counts.

And in mice, each cycle of fasting then 'flipped a regenerative switch' that led to the regeneration of new white blood cells, which in turn renews the defence system of the body.

Valter Longo, Professor of Gerontology and the Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California, said: "It gives the OK for stem cells to go ahead and begin proliferating and rebuild the entire system. And the good news is that the body got rid of the parts of the system that might be damaged or old, the inefficient parts, during the fasting."

He added that a system heavily damaged by chemotherapy or aging, fasting cycles can generate, literally, a new immune system.

The study also revealed that levels of the enzyme PKA, reduces as a result of fasting. This increases longevity in simple organisms, as well as levels of the hormone IGF-1, which has been linked to ageing, tumour progression and cancer risk.