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A hypocaloric diet, based on Orthodox fasting (OF) was followed by 29 overweight adults. A low-calorie, 16/8, time restricted eating (TRE) pattern was followed by 16 age- and weight-matched participants. Anthropometric, lipid, glycaemic and inflammation markers were assessed at baseline, at the end of the intervention (7 weeks from baseline) and 6 weeks after the cessation of diets (13 weeks from baseline). There was a trend of weight loss in both groups, which was evident at week 7 (TRE: -2.1 ± 1.0; OF: -2.0 ± 0.5 kg

The exact mechanisms mediating the metabolic effects of Orthodox fasting remain unclear. Plasma adiponectin, biochemical and anthropometrical data were evaluated in 55 Orthodox fasters (OF) and 42 time-restricted eating controls (all women, mean age 47.8 years) at three time points: baseline, end of the dietary intervention (7 weeks) and 5 weeks after participants returned to their typical dietary habits (12 weeks from baseline). In the OF group, there was an increase in adiponectin values at 12 weeks compared with baseline (9815.99 vs 8983.52 mg/ml, p = 0.02) and a reduction in body fat mass between baseline and 12 weeks (35.44 vs 32.17%, p = 0.004) and between 7 and 12 weeks (35.33 vs 32.17%, p = 0.003). In the same group, an inverse correlation between adiponectin and waist circumference values was observed over the entire study period. Our results provide novel evidence that Orthodox fasting has favourable metabolic effects related to improved adiponectin concentrations.

Irisin has been recently identified as an adipomyokine produced during physical activity and involved in the browning of adipose tissue. Despite the emerging evidence suggesting an inverse relationship between irisin plasma concentrations and adverse metabolic outcomes, the exact impact of diet on irisin levels remains obscure. Thus, we aimed to assess the effects of two dietary patterns, Christian Orthodox fasting (OF) and 16:8 time-restricted eating (TRE), on circulating irisin levels among overweight, metabolically healthy, adults. Plasma irisin, glucose and lipid parameters, calcium homeostasis, and anthropometry were evaluated in 29 Orthodox fasters and 14 age and body mass index (BMI)-matched TRE controls (mean age and BMI, 48.8 years and 28.7 kg/m2, respectively) at three, distinct time points—before the implementation of the energy-restricted diets (baseline), at the end of the dietary intervention (7 weeks) and 5 weeks after participants returned to their typical dietary habits (12 weeks from baseline). Repeated measures analysis was applied to assess differences between the two groups and the effect of several indices on irisin levels at all three time points. At 12 weeks, the OF group manifested higher irisin concentrations compared with both its baseline values (64.3 ± 54.4 vs. 43.6 ± 42.2 ng/mL, p = 0.01) and those of the TRE group at the same time point (64.3 ± 54.4 vs. 44.2 ± 26.6 ng/mL, p = 0.04). Glycemic, lipid, and anthropometric parameters were not found to correlate with irisin levels. In contrast, parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations at 12 weeks correlated with irisin concentrations (p = 0.04), indicating that lower values of irisin are expected for higher PTH measurements. The findings of this pilot study suggest favorable long-term effects of OF on irisin levels. The interplay between irisin, PTH, and diet warrants further investigation.

For seven weeks, 37 overweight adults followed a hypocaloric diet based on Orthodox Fasting (OF). A hypocaloric, time restricted eating (TRE) plan (eating between 08:00 to 16:00 h, water fasting from 16:00 to 08:00 h) was followed by 23 Body Mass Index (BMI)-matched participants. Anthropometric, glycaemic and inflammation markers and serum lipids were assessed before and after the diets. Both OF and TRE groups demonstrated reductions in BMI (28.54 ± 5.45 vs 27.20 ± 5.10 kg/m2, p

We aimed to evaluate sex differences in changes of lipid profiles in a cohort of metabolically healthy adults following Orthodox fasting (OF), as well as to assess a potential role of vitamin D status in mediating these variations. 45 individuals (24 premenopausal females, 53.3 %) with mean age 48.3 ± 9.1 years and mean Body Mass Index 28.7 ± 5.8 kg/m2 were prospectively followed for 12 weeks. Anthropometry, dietary and biochemical data regarding serum lipids, and vitamin D status were collected at baseline, 7 weeks after the implementation of OF, and 5 weeks after fasters returned to their standard dietary habits (12 weeks from baseline). According to 25-hydroxy-vitamin D [25(OH)D] measurements, participants were divided into two groups: those with concentrations above and below the median of values. Females with 25(OH)D concentrations below the median manifested a non-significant reduction by approximately 15 % in total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol during the fasting period, followed by a significant increase 5 weeks after OF cessation (170.7 vs. 197.5 and 99.6 vs. 121.0 mg/dl respectively, p