Intermittent fasting during Ramadan attenuates proinflammatory cytokines and immune cells in healthy subjects “Mo'ez Al-Islam” E. Faris a, b, ⁎ , Safia Kacimi c , Ref'at A. Al-Kurd b , Mohammad A. Fararjeh d , Yasser K. Bustanji c , Mohammad K. Mohammad c , Mohammad L. Salem e a Department of Clinical Nutrition, College of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Hail, Hail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia b Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Petra University, Amman, Jordan c Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Biopharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan d Faculty of Medical Laboratory Technology, Hashemite University, Zarka, Jordan e Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history: Received 21 October 2011 Revised 15 June 2012 Accepted 29 June 2012 Intermittent fasting and caloric restriction have been shown to extend life expectancy and reduce inflammation and cancer promotion in animal models. It was hypothesized that intermittent prolonged fasting practiced during the month of Ramadan (RIF) could positively affect the inflammatory state. To investigate this hypothesis, a cross-sectional study was designed to investigate the impact of RIF on selected inflammatory cytokines and immune biomarkers in healthy subjects. Fifty (21 men and 29 women) healthy volunteers who practiced Ramadan fasting were recruited for the investigation of circulating proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor α), immune cells (total leukocytes, monocytes, granulocytes, and lymphocytes), and anthropometric and dietary assessments. The investigations were conducted 1 week before Ramadan fasting, at the end of the third week of Ramadan, and 1 month after the cessation of Ramadan month. The proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor α; systolic and diastolic blood pressures; body weight; and body fat percentage were significantly lower (P < .05) during Ramadan as compared with before Ramadan or after the cessation of Ramadan fasting. Immune cells significantly decreased during Ramadan but still remained within the reference ranges. These results indicate that RIF attenuates inflammatory status of the body by suppressing proinflammatory cytokine expression and decreasing body fat and circulating levels of leukocytes. © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Fasting Caloric restriction Inflammation Interleukin-1β Interleukin-6 Leukocytes Tumor necrosis factor α NUTRITION RESEARCH XX (2012) XXX – XXX Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; CR, caloric restriction; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; HC, hip circumference; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; IF, intermittent fasting; IL-1β, interleukin-1β; IL-6, interleukin-6; LPL, lipoprotein lipase; RIF, Ramadan intermittent fasting; SBP, systolic blood pressure; TG, triglycerides; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor α; WBC, white blood cells; WC, waist circumference. ⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: +966 5 49847886; fax: +966 6 5316982. E-mail address: moezf@uop.edu.jo (“M.'A.-I.”E. Faris). 0271-5317/$ – see front matter © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2012.06.021 Available online at www.sciencedirect.com www.nrjournal.com Please cite this article as: Faris “M'A-I”E, et al, Intermittent fasting during Ramadan attenuates proinflammatory cytokines and immune cells in healthy subjects, Nutr Res (2012), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2012.06.021