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According to British researchers, intermittent fasting is a practice that can regenerate nerves. Their work, which was carried out in mice, demonstrates the action of a metabolite derived from the microbiome on peripheral nerves and on the sciatic nerve in particular.
To reach these conclusions, scientists at Imperial College London studied laboratory mice whose sciatic nerve had been crushed.
Half of the mice followed intermittent fasting, eating as much as they wanted and then not eating at all on alternate days while the other half were free to eat without any restrictions.
The effect of intermittent fasting on the nerves
These diets were continued for a period of 10 days or 30 days before their operation, and the mice’s recovery was monitored 24 to 72 hours after nerve sectioning. Result: The length of regenerated axons was measured and was approximately 50% greater in mice that had fasted.
This intermittent fasting can lead to changes in the gut microbiome, gene transcription and protein synthesis, mitochondrial metabolism, and neurotrophin release. For Professor Simone Di Giovanni of the department of Imperial College London and lead author of the study, this is the start of a new avenue of research. For her, these findings open up a whole new realm.”where we have to ask ourselves: is this the tip of an iceberg? Will there be other bacteria or metabolites of bacteria that can promote repair?“.
The action of indole-3-propionic acid
According to the researchers’ results, the regeneration mechanism is linked to the increase in indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), a metabolite produced by the digestive system, in particular by the intestinal microbiome. The bacterium that produces IPA, called Clostridium sporogenesisis found naturally in the intestines of mice but also in humans.
This new mechanism has therefore for the moment been discovered in mice, the researchers therefore hope that the result will be transposable to humans, in a future clinical trial.
Very little regenerative capacity in humans
If this possibility in humans sees the light of day, it would be a major breakthrough. In effect, “there is currently no treatment for people with nerve damage beyond surgical reconstruction, which is only effective in a small percentage of cases, prompting us to investigate whether lifestyle changes might help to recovery“concludes Professor Simone Di Giovanni.