Intermittent and periodic fasting, hormones, and cancer prevention

Abstract

The restriction of proteins, amino acids or sugars can have profound effects on the levels of hormones and factors including growth hormone, IGF-1 and insulin. In turn, these can regulate intra-cellular signaling pathways as well as cellular damage and aging, but also multisystem regeneration. Both intermittent (IF) and periodic fasting (PF) have been shown to have both acute and long-term effects on these hormones. Here, we review the effects of nutrients and fasting on hormones and genes established to affect aging and cancer. We describe the link between dietary interventions and genetic pathways affecting the levels of these hormones and focus on the mechanisms responsible for the cancer preventive effects. We propose that IF and PF can reduce tumor incidence both by delaying aging and preventing DNA damage and immunosenescence and also by killing damaged, pre-cancerous and cancer cells.