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Fasting Resources

The resources below are organised by topic rather than by source type, with each entry’s relationship to the underlying research surfaced. The intent is to provide reliable starting points for deeper investigation rather than an exhaustive bibliography. Some entries lead to substantial primary research; others lead to popular synthesis that should be read with appropriate critical engagement.

 

A note on the field’s particular epistemic landscape: fasting research has accelerated dramatically over the past two decades, with major contributions from labs at USC, Salk Institute, Harvard, the Buck Institute, McMaster, UCSF, and several others. At the same time, the commercial ecosystem around fasting (supplements, clinical programs, apps, branded protocols) has grown substantially. 

 

 

Foundational Metabolism and Starvation Physiology

The biochemistry of what happens when humans stop eating, from the earliest rigorous research through current refinements.

  • Cahill, G.F. (1970). Starvation in man. New England Journal of Medicine, 282(12), 668–675. The foundational human starvation metabolism paper that established the phases of fasted-state metabolism. Five decades of subsequent work has refined but not overturned the core findings. Anchors substantial portions of Fasting Basics.
  • Cahill, G.F. (2006). Fuel metabolism in starvation. Annual Review of Nutrition, 26, 1–22. Cahill’s later review consolidating decades of work on fasting physiology.
  • Ho, K.Y., Veldhuis, J.D., Johnson, M.L., et al. (1988). Fasting enhances growth hormone secretion and amplifies the complex rhythms of growth hormone secretion in man. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 81(4), 968–975. The foundational human study showing GH pulse amplification during prolonged fasting. The source of substantial later (sometimes overstated) popular discussion about fasting and growth hormone.
  • Phinney, S.D., Bistrian, B.R., Evans, W.J., Gervino, E., & Blackburn, G.L. (1983). The human metabolic response to chronic ketosis without caloric restriction: preservation of submaximal exercise capability with reduced carbohydrate oxidation. Metabolism, 32(8), 769–776. The foundational keto-adaptation metabolic ward study from Phinney’s group, establishing the multi-week adaptation timeline that distinguishes ketosis from full keto-adaptation.
  • McClellan, W.S., & Du Bois, E.F. (1930). Clinical calorimetry: XLV. Prolonged meat diets with a study of kidney function and ketosis. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 87(3), 651–668. The published medical study of the Stefansson and Anderson all-meat diet experiment at Bellevue Hospital — foundational evidence that humans can sustain health on carnivore-style eating, relevant to the carnivore section in Ketosis.
 

 

Autophagy Foundational Research

The mechanism that has become central to the popular understanding of fasting’s effects.

  • Tsukada, M., & Ohsumi, Y. (1993). Isolation and characterization of autophagy-defective mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. FEBS Letters, 333(1-2), 169–174. Yoshinori Ohsumi’s foundational paper that initiated systematic identification of the ATG genes. The 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Ohsumi for this body of work.
  • Mizushima, N., & Komatsu, M. (2011). Autophagy: renovation of cells and tissues. Cell, 147(4), 728–741. The key review of mammalian autophagy mechanisms from Noboru Mizushima’s group at the University of Tokyo, one of the major academic centers for autophagy research.
  • Klionsky, D.J., et al. (2021). Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy. Autophagy, 17(1), 1–382. The methodological standards document from Daniel Klionsky’s group at the University of Michigan. Substantial reference for anyone seriously investigating autophagy measurement; cited here as evidence that the human autophagy measurement problem is real and substantially harder than popular framings suggest.
  • Cuervo, A.M., & Wong, E. (2014). Chaperone-mediated autophagy: roles in disease and aging. Cell Research, 24(1), 92–104. Ana Maria Cuervo’s group at Einstein has done foundational work on chaperone-mediated autophagy, a distinct process from macroautophagy that declines substantially with age.
  • Madeo, F., Eisenberg, T., Pietrocola, F., & Kroemer, G. (2018). Spermidine in health and disease. Science, 359(6374), eaan2788. Frank Madeo’s group at Graz on spermidine as a caloric restriction mimetic and autophagy inducer. Foundational for the pharmacological autophagy induction literature.
  • Madeo, F., Carmona-Gutierrez, D., Hofer, S.J., & Kroemer, G. (2019). Caloric restriction mimetics against age-associated disease: targets, mechanisms, and therapeutic potential. Cell Metabolism, 29(3), 592–610.
 

 

The Longo Lab Body of Work

Valter Longo’s group at USC has produced one of the most consistent bodies of fasting and longevity research over the past two decades.

  • Levine, M.E., Suarez, J.A., Brandhorst, S., et al. (2014). Low protein intake is associated with a major reduction in IGF-1, cancer, and overall mortality in the 65 and younger but not older population. Cell Metabolism, 19(3), 407–417. The age-dependent protein/IGF-1/mortality finding that informs the framework’s nuanced position on protein intake across the lifespan.
  • Brandhorst, S., Choi, I.Y., Wei, M., et al. (2015). A periodic diet that mimics fasting promotes multi-system regeneration, enhanced cognitive performance, and healthspan. Cell Metabolism, 22(1), 86–99. The foundational Fasting Mimicking Diet paper establishing the protocol in mice and initial human data.
  • Wei, M., Brandhorst, S., Shelehchi, M., et al. (2017). Fasting-mimicking diet and markers/risk factors for aging, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Science Translational Medicine, 9(377), eaai8700. The pivotal human clinical trial of the FMD demonstrating reductions in cardiovascular and metabolic risk markers.
  • Cheng, C.W., Adams, G.B., Perin, L., et al. (2014). Prolonged fasting reduces IGF-1/PKA to promote hematopoietic-stem-cell-based regeneration and reverse immunosuppression. Cell Stem Cell, 14(6), 810–823. The foundational paper on fasting-induced stem cell regeneration that anchors much of the popular “fasting resets your immune system” framing. The mechanism (PKA suppression) and the effect (hematopoietic stem cell proliferation during refeeding) are well-characterised.
  • Choi, I.Y., Piccio, L., Childress, P., et al. (2016). A diet mimicking fasting promotes regeneration and reduces autoimmunity and multiple sclerosis symptoms. Cell Reports, 15(10), 2136–2146. Application of FMD to multiple sclerosis in mouse models with promising early human data.
  • Di Biase, S., Lee, C., Brandhorst, S., et al. (2016). Fasting-mimicking diet reduces HO-1 to promote T cell-mediated tumor cytotoxicity. Cancer Cell, 30(1), 136–146. The FMD-and-chemotherapy work demonstrating differential stress resistance.
 

 

The Panda Lab Body of Work

Satchidananda Panda’s group at the Salk Institute on circadian biology and time-restricted eating.

  • Hatori, M., Vollmers, C., Zarrinpar, A., et al. (2012). Time-restricted feeding without reducing caloric intake prevents metabolic diseases in mice fed a high-fat diet. Cell Metabolism, 15(6), 848–860. The foundational mouse work establishing that timing of eating affects metabolic outcomes independently of caloric intake.
  • Chaix, A., Zarrinpar, A., Miu, P., & Panda, S. (2014). Time-restricted feeding is a preventative and therapeutic intervention against diverse nutritional challenges. Cell Metabolism, 20(6), 991–1005. Extension of the foundational TRF work to multiple dietary contexts.
  • Sutton, E.F., Beyl, R., Early, K.S., et al. (2018). Early time-restricted feeding improves insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, and oxidative stress even without weight loss in men with prediabetes. Cell Metabolism, 27(6), 1212–1221. The early TRF clinical trial from Courtney Peterson and Eric Ravussin at Pennington Biomedical Research Center.
  • Wilkinson, M.J., Manoogian, E.N.C., Zadourian, A., et al. (2020). Ten-hour time-restricted eating reduces weight, blood pressure, and atherogenic lipids in patients with metabolic syndrome. Cell Metabolism, 31(1), 92–104. The 10-hour TRE clinical trial in metabolic syndrome that demonstrated meaningful improvements over 12 weeks.
  • Lowe, D.A., Wu, N., Rohdin-Bibby, L., et al. (2020). Effects of time-restricted eating on weight loss and other metabolic parameters in women and men with overweight and obesity: the TREAT randomized clinical trial. JAMA Internal Medicine, 180(11), 1491–1499. The UCSF TREAT trial that complicated the simpler “TRE causes weight loss” narrative. Worth reading critically for what it suggests about implementation details mattering substantially.
  • Panda, S. (2018). The Circadian Code: Lose Weight, Supercharge Your Energy, and Transform Your Health from Morning to Midnight. Rodale. Panda’s accessible synthesis of his research for general audiences. Well-grounded in his primary work; useful introduction to the circadian/TRE framework.
 

 

Intermittent Fasting and Brain Health

Mark Mattson’s body of work on the neuroscience of intermittent fasting, formerly at NIA and now at Johns Hopkins.

  • Mattson, M.P., Longo, V.D., & Harvie, M. (2017). Impact of intermittent fasting on health and disease processes. Ageing Research Reviews, 39, 46–58. Mattson’s major review consolidating the case for intermittent fasting’s health effects.
  • de Cabo, R., & Mattson, M.P. (2019). Effects of intermittent fasting on health, aging, and disease. New England Journal of Medicine, 381(26), 2541–2551. The high-profile NEJM review that brought intermittent fasting research to mainstream medical attention.
  • Mattson, M.P. (2019). An evolutionary perspective on why food overconsumption impairs cognition. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 23(3), 200–212.
 

 

BHB as Signaling Molecule

The recognition that ketone bodies do more than provide fuel.

  • Newman, J.C., & Verdin, E. (2014). Ketone bodies as signaling metabolites. Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism, 25(1), 42–52. The foundational review establishing BHB’s role as a signalling molecule with effects on gene expression, inflammation, and cellular function.
  • Newman, J.C., & Verdin, E. (2017). β-Hydroxybutyrate: A signaling metabolite. Annual Review of Nutrition, 37, 51–76. Updated review extending the foundational work.
  • Youm, Y.H., Nguyen, K.Y., Grant, R.W., et al. (2015). The ketone metabolite β-hydroxybutyrate blocks NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammatory disease. Nature Medicine, 21(3), 263–269. The mechanistic paper on BHB’s inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome, one of the major anti-inflammatory mechanisms of ketosis.
  • Shimazu, T., Hirschey, M.D., Newman, J., et al. (2013). Suppression of oxidative stress by β-hydroxybutyrate, an endogenous histone deacetylase inhibitor. Science, 339(6116), 211–214. The HDAC inhibition mechanism that underlies many of BHB’s gene expression effects.
 

 

Therapeutic Fasting for Metabolic Disease

The clinical applications.

  • Furmli, S., Elmasry, R., Ramos, M., & Fung, J. (2018). Therapeutic use of intermittent fasting for people with type 2 diabetes as an alternative to insulin. BMJ Case Reports, 2018, bcr-2017-221854. The published case series from Jason Fung’s Intensive Dietary Management Program in Toronto. Three patients with type 2 diabetes who discontinued insulin therapy through structured fasting protocols.
  • Hallberg, S.J., McKenzie, A.L., Williams, P.T., et al. (2018). Effectiveness and safety of a novel care model for the management of type 2 diabetes at 1 year: an open-label, non-randomized, controlled study. Diabetes Therapy, 9(2), 583–612. The Virta Health 1-year clinical trial showing substantial type 2 diabetes reversal through ketogenic dietary intervention with continuous remote care.
  • Athinarayanan, S.J., Adams, R.N., Hallberg, S.J., et al. (2019). Long-term effects of a novel continuous remote care intervention including nutritional ketosis for the management of type 2 diabetes: a 2-year non-randomized clinical trial. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 10, 348. The 2-year follow-up data demonstrating sustained T2D remission in 53% of patients.
  • Trepanowski, J.F., Kroeger, C.M., Barnosky, A., et al. (2017). Effect of alternate-day fasting on weight loss, weight maintenance, and cardioprotection among metabolically healthy obese adults: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Internal Medicine, 177(7), 930–938. Krista Varady’s alternate-day fasting trial showing comparable outcomes to continuous caloric restriction.
 

 

Caloric Restriction Research

The substantial primary research on sustained caloric restriction effects in humans.

  • Kraus, W.E., Bhapkar, M., Huffman, K.M., et al. (2019). 2 years of calorie restriction and cardiometabolic risk (CALERIE): exploratory outcomes of a multicentre, phase 2, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 7(9), 673–683. The CALERIE trial cardiometabolic findings demonstrating that moderate caloric restriction in metabolically healthy adults produces measurable cardiovascular benefits.
  • Waziry, R., Ryan, C.P., Corcoran, D.L., et al. (2023). Effect of long-term caloric restriction on DNA methylation measures of biological aging in healthy adults from the CALERIE trial. Nature Aging, 3(3), 248–257. The recent CALERIE follow-up using epigenetic ageing markers, suggesting modest but measurable biological-age slowing from sustained caloric restriction.
  • Redman, L.M., Smith, S.R., Burton, J.H., Martin, C.K., Il’yasova, D., & Ravussin, E. (2018). Metabolic slowing and reduced oxidative damage with sustained caloric restriction support the rate of living and oxidative damage theories of aging. Cell Metabolism, 27(4), 805–815. CALERIE results on metabolic adaptation and oxidative damage reduction.
 

 

Cancer Metabolism

The contested but increasingly substantial research area at the intersection of metabolism and oncology.

  • Warburg, O. (1956). On the origin of cancer cells. Science, 123(3191), 309–314. Otto Warburg’s foundational paper on the metabolic dysfunction of cancer cells. Largely dismissed through the 20th century, substantially rediscovered in recent decades.
  • Seyfried, T.N. (2012). Cancer as a Metabolic Disease: On the Origin, Management, and Prevention of Cancer. Wiley. Thomas Seyfried’s substantial synthesis of the metabolic theory of cancer, articulating a modern version of Warburg’s hypothesis with extensive supporting evidence and clinical implications.
  • Seyfried, T.N., Yu, G., Maroon, J.C., & D’Agostino, D.P. (2017). Press-pulse: a novel therapeutic strategy for the metabolic management of cancer. Nutrition & Metabolism, 14, 19. The articulated therapeutic strategy combining sustained metabolic stress (ketogenic diet, caloric restriction, hyperbaric oxygen) with acute interventions (glucose-targeting drugs, glutamine antagonists, standard chemotherapy).
  • Klement, R.J. (2017). Beneficial effects of ketogenic diets for cancer patients: a realistic look at the literature. Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift, 167(1-2), 25–34. Review of the clinical evidence state.
  • D’Agostino, D.P., laboratory output at the University of South Florida. Dom D’Agostino’s group has produced substantial primary research on ketone bodies, hyperbaric oxygen, and cancer metabolism. His broader practitioner profile combines academic research with substantial public communication; the underlying research is well-grounded.
 

 

Sex Differences and Female-Specific Fasting Physiology

The genuine differences in how women respond to fasting protocols.

  • Sims, S.T., & Yeager, S. (2016). ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life. Rodale. Stacy Sims’ synthesis of female-specific exercise and nutrition physiology, including substantial treatment of fasting protocols. Already established in Movement Resources; relevant here for the Fasting Game Plan treatment of sex differences.
  • Heilbronn, L.K., Civitarese, A.E., Bogacka, I., Smith, S.R., Hulver, M., & Ravussin, E. (2005). Glucose tolerance and skeletal muscle gene expression in response to alternate day fasting. Obesity Research, 13(3), 574–581. The often-cited study showing that ADF can produce reduced glucose tolerance specifically in women.
 

 

Carnivore and Extreme Low-Carbohydrate Eating

The most extreme end of the ketogenic spectrum, with emerging clinical evidence and substantial experiential reports.

  • Lennerz, B.S., Mey, J.T., Henn, O.H., & Ludwig, D.S. (2021). Behavioral characteristics and self-reported health status among 2029 adults consuming a “carnivore diet.” Current Developments in Nutrition, 5(12), nzab133. The largest survey study of self-identified carnivore dieters from David Ludwig’s group at Harvard. Methodologically limited by self-selection but striking in the consistency and scale of self-reported improvements.
  • Baker, S. (2019). The Carnivore Diet. Victory Belt Publishing. Shawn Baker’s accessible practitioner synthesis of the carnivore approach. Baker is an orthopedic surgeon who has been one of the most visible advocates for carnivore eating. The book is practitioner-grade with substantial commercial and community-building dimensions; the clinical claims are sometimes ahead of the underlying evidence; the practical guidance is generally reasonable for healthy adults considering the approach.
  • Saladino, P. (2020). The Carnivore Code: Unlocking the Secrets to Optimal Health by Returning to Our Ancestral Diet. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Paul Saladino’s synthesis of the case for animal-foods-only eating. More detailed engagement with the mechanistic and evolutionary arguments than Baker’s book. Saladino has since moved away from strict carnivore eating toward a more inclusive animal-based diet with some fruit and honey; his evolving position is worth tracking.
 

 

Ketogenic Eating Clinical Research

The substantial academic literature on ketogenic dietary interventions.

  • Phinney, S.D., & Volek, J.S. (2011). The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living. Beyond Obesity LLC. Phinney and Volek’s foundational practitioner synthesis of the keto-adaptation research. Phinney has been doing primary research on ketogenic diets since the 1970s; Volek has been one of the most prolific academic researchers on ketogenic eating over the past two decades. The book is the most accessible introduction to the substantial primary research from this lineage.
  • Phinney, S.D., & Volek, J.S. (2012). The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance. Beyond Obesity LLC. The athletic performance application of their work.
  • Volek, J.S., & Phinney, S.D. (2012). The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living. Beyond Obesity LLC.
  • Westman, E.C., Phinney, S.D., Volek, J.S., & Atkins, R.C. (2010). The New Atkins for a New You: The Ultimate Diet for Shedding Weight and Feeling Great. Touchstone. Eric Westman at Duke joining Phinney and Volek for an accessible introduction to ketogenic eating for general audiences.
  • Volek, J.S., Freidenreich, D.J., Saenz, C., et al. (2016). Metabolic characteristics of keto-adapted ultra-endurance runners. Metabolism, 65(3), 100–110. The FASTER study (Fat Adapted Substrate use in Trained Elite Runners) examining elite ultra-endurance athletes on ketogenic vs high-carbohydrate diets.
 

 

Brain Energy and Metabolic Psychiatry

The emerging research applying metabolic interventions to mental health conditions.

  • Palmer, C.M. (2022). Brain Energy: A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More. BenBella Books. Christopher Palmer’s articulation of metabolic psychiatry as a working framework. Palmer is a Harvard psychiatrist whose academic credentials are real; some specific claims in the book exceed current clinical evidence; the broader framework is reasonable and the underlying research base is genuine.
  • Sethi, S., & Ford, J.M. (2022). The role of ketogenic metabolic therapy on the brain in serious mental illness: a review. Journal of Psychiatry and Brain Science, 7(5), e220009. Shebani Sethi at Stanford reviewing the emerging evidence for ketogenic interventions in serious mental illness.
 

 

Longevity Science

Books and primary research at the broader intersection of fasting, caloric restriction, and longevity.

  • Longo, V.D. (2018). The Longevity Diet: Discover the New Science Behind Stem Cell Activation and Regeneration to Slow Aging, Fight Disease, and Optimize Weight. Avery. Longo’s accessible synthesis of his research for general audiences, including the FMD protocol and the broader longevity dietary recommendations.
  • Sinclair, D.A. (2019). Lifespan: Why We Age — and Why We Don’t Have To. Atria Books. David Sinclair’s synthesis of longevity research with substantial emphasis on his lab’s work on sirtuins, NAD+, and resveratrol. Read with substantial commercial caveats: Sinclair has significant financial interests in NAD+ precursor supplements (NMN, NR), sirtuin-activating compounds, and several longevity-adjacent commercial ventures. The underlying primary research is real; the specific therapeutic recommendations in the book reflect both the science and Sinclair’s commercial positioning. Engage critically.
  • Attia, P. (2023). Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity. Harmony. Already established in Movement Resources and The Longevity Program. Substantial treatment of fasting and ketogenic interventions in the context of healthspan optimisation. Attia has commercial relationships with clinical services he runs; the underlying training and dietary principles are well-grounded.
 

 

Popular Fasting Synthesis Books

Books that have shaped the contemporary popular understanding of fasting.

  • Fung, J. (2016). The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss. Greystone Books. Jason Fung’s accessible synthesis of the hormonal model of obesity and the case for intermittent fasting as treatment. Fung is a Toronto-based nephrologist whose clinical experience with type 2 diabetes reversal through fasting protocols is substantial. The book is influential and generally well-grounded; some specific claims oversimplify; the core hormonal/insulin framing for obesity is reasonable and supported by substantial evidence.
  • Fung, J., & Moore, J. (2016). The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended Fasting. Victory Belt Publishing. The practical companion to The Obesity Code. Substantial protocol guidance, clinical case examples, and practical implementation detail. Useful as a reference for people considering structured fasting protocols. Combines Fung’s clinical experience with Jimmy Moore’s popular communication skills.
  • Pilon, B. (2007, multiple editions). Eat Stop Eat. Brad Pilon’s original articulation of the 24-hour fast protocol that became one of the foundational popular intermittent fasting approaches. The book is short, practical, and generally well-supported by the underlying research on shorter fasts.
  • Mosley, M., & Spencer, M. (2013). The Fast Diet. Atria Books. Michael Mosley’s popularisation of the 5:2 protocol that became substantially influential in the UK and beyond. Mosley’s death in 2024 closed a substantial popular communication career; the 5:2 approach he articulated remains one of the more accessible introductions to intermittent fasting for general audiences.
 

 

Practitioner Synthesis Books

Books from practitioners synthesising the broader research for general audiences. Each warrants appropriate critical engagement.

  • Greenfield, B. (2020). Boundless: Upgrade Your Brain, Optimize Your Body & Defy Aging. Victory Belt Publishing. Ben Greenfield’s comprehensive practitioner synthesis. Substantial sections on fasting, ketogenic eating, and related metabolic interventions. Greenfield’s commercial relationships with multiple supplement and equipment manufacturers warrant skeptical reading of specific product recommendations. The “detox” elements of his protocols (clay masks, coffee enemas, certain cleansing recommendations) are less evidence-anchored than the core training and dietary content. Useful as a reference for one well-developed practitioner approach with appropriate caveats applied.
  • Land, S. (2021). Metabolic Autophagy. Siim Land (self-published). Substantial practitioner synthesis of autophagy research and dietary approaches to activating it. Land is a useful aggregator and his autophagy mechanism explanations are mostly sound; his confidence on specific timing thresholds and “Principles of Metabolic Autophagy” framing sometimes exceeds what the underlying research directly supports. Substantial content from Land was integrated across Fasting Basics, Cheatsheet, and Ketosis with appropriate framing throughout.
  • Sovijärvi, O., Arina, T., & Halmetoja, J. (2019). Biohacker’s Handbook: Upgrade Yourself and Unleash Your Inner Potential. Biohacker Center. Comprehensive practitioner-level reference covering training, nutrition, sleep, and broader optimisation. Some recommendations have strong evidence base; others reflect biohacker tradition and practitioner extrapolation. Already established in Sleep Resources, Nutrition Resources, and Movement Resources; relevant here for fasting-specific content.
  • Easter, M. (2021). The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self. Rodale. Michael Easter’s broader treatment of how modern life has eliminated the discomfort and stress cycling that humans evolved for. Substantial content on fasting and hunger as productive discomfort. Not primarily a fasting book; included because it provides useful context for understanding why deliberately reintroducing fasting may produce benefits beyond what continuous caloric abundance allows.
  • Pompa, D. (multiple publications). The 5-1-1 protocol and cellular healing framework. Daniel Pompa is a practitioner whose specific therapeutic claims sometimes exceed the underlying evidence base; the basic 5-1-1 cycling structure he articulates is a reasonable simplified approximation of seasonal cycling that’s workable within a weekly framework, referenced in the Fasting Game Plan.
 

 

Historical and Cultural Context

Sources for the religious, cultural, and historical dimensions of fasting practice.

  • Price, W.A. (1939). Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. Paul B. Hoeber, Inc. Already established in Nutrition Resources and Movement Resources. Relevant here for Price’s documentation of seasonal feast-famine cycling across traditional populations.
  • Boorde, A. (1542). A Compendyous Regyment or a Dyetary of Helthe. The earliest English-language synthesis of dietary advice including fasting traditions; mainly of historical interest.
  • Various religious texts and commentaries: the substantial fasting traditions documented in Islamic, Christian (Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant), Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain literatures. Primary religious texts and commentaries on fasting practices are too numerous to list comprehensively; the references in the Fasting Rabbit Hole cultural history section provide entry points to the major traditions.

Recent academic treatments worth noting:

  • Trepanowski, J.F., & Bloomer, R.J. (2010). The impact of religious fasting on human health. Nutrition Journal, 9, 57. Useful review of the research on religious fasting practices and their health effects.
 

 

Practitioner Resources

Academic and research labs:

  • The Panda Lab at Salk Institute. Ongoing research output on circadian biology, time-restricted eating, and the underlying molecular mechanisms.
  • The Longo Lab at USC Longevity Institute. Ongoing research on FMD, longevity, cancer applications. The institute’s broader programs are substantial. Longo’s commercial relationship with L-Nutra (which sells ProLon) warrants noting; the underlying research is independent and substantial.
  • The Verdin Lab at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. Foundational work on BHB signaling and metabolic regulation of aging.
  • The Madeo Group at the University of Graz. Spermidine and caloric restriction mimetics research.
  • The Sinclair Lab at Harvard. NAD+, sirtuins, and longevity research, with substantial commercial relationships that warrant honest engagement.
  • The D’Agostino Lab at the University of South Florida. Ketone bodies, hyperbaric oxygen, and cancer metabolism research.
  • The Phinney/Volek collaboration. Decades of foundational ketogenic diet research that anchors the academic understanding of keto-adaptation.
 

 

Educational and popular media:

  • Found My Fitness (foundmyfitness.com). Rhonda Patrick’s substantial research synthesis site covering autophagy, caloric restriction, fasting, and time-restricted eating. The aggregated research topics provide good starting points for further investigation.
  • The Peter Attia Drive podcast. Substantial coverage of fasting, ketogenic interventions, and longevity science with frequent academic guests including Longo, Sinclair, and others.
  • Diet Doctor (dietdoctor.com). Practitioner-focused content on low-carb and ketogenic eating with substantial fasting content. Andreas Eenfeldt’s resource that has become one of the major popular education hubs for ketogenic eating.