Clinicians have found that fasting was frequently accompanied by an increased level of vigilance and a mood improvement, a subjective feeling of well-being, and sometimes of euphoria. Therapeutic fasting, following an established protocol, is safe and well tolerated. We aim in this article to explore the biological mechanisms activated during fasting that could have an effect on brain function ...

BACKGROUND In patients with duodenal ulcer cure of Helicobacter pylori infection resulted in a pronounced decrease in intragastric pH during treatment with omeprazole. AIM To test the hypothesis that treatment of H pylori adversely affects the pH response to ranitidine. PATIENTS Eighteen patients with duodenal ulcer who were infected with H pylori were studied. METHODS Twenty four hour pH...

To test whether circadian responses to light are modulated by decreased glucose availability, we analyzed photic phase resetting of the circadian rhythm of locomotor activity in mice exposed to four metabolic challenges: 1) blockade of glucose utilization induced by 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-DG), 2) fasting (food was removed for 30 h), 3) insulin administration, and 4) insulin treatment after fastin...

Aim. To identify the effects of sociodemographic status, family history, and lifestyle habits on fasting blood glucose (FBG) and fasting serum insulin (FSI) levels in apparently healthy subjects. Methods. Information was gathered using an interviewer-administered questionnaire from 227 apparently healthy nondiabetic subjects residing in a suburban area in Sri Lanka. Venous blood samples were co...

AIMS We prospectively studied Japanese workers with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and/or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and analysed possible risk factors for diabetes, including psychosocial factors such as stress. METHODS The participants were 128 male Japanese company employees (mean age, 49.3 +/- 5.9 years) with IFG and/or IGT diagnosed by oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Participan...

Insulinoma is a rare endocrine tumor that can cause a wide variety of symptoms, including abnormal nocturnal behavior. We report on 3 patients with insulinoma who presented with abnormal nocturnal behavior and injury during sleep, which simulated rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD). In case 1, the fasting glucose level was 15  mg/dL, and insulin levels were elevated (15  μU/m...

Challet, Etienne, Susan Losee-Olson, and Fred W. Turek. Reduced glucose availability attenuates circadian responses to light in mice. Am. J. Physiol. 276 (Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 45): R1063–R1070, 1999.—To test whether circadian responses to light are modulated by decreased glucose availability, we analyzed photic phase resetting of the circadian rhythm of locomotor activity in mi...

Fasting is a religious obligation, which can be challenging for individuals with oral conditions due to its stringent code of conduct. Moreover, food abstinence during fasting can restrict oral feeding even further in patients whose nutrition has been already compromised. Previous research has mainly concentrated on oral hygiene and gum health, disregarding orodental conditions and diseases. Th...