In intermittent fasting, food intake is planned so that you eat in certain phases and deliberately refrain from eating in others. This diet has many benefits for the metabolism. However, it is unclear whether these benefits depend on age. Researchers have therefore investigated how intermittent fasting affects metabolism and beta cell function in old, middle-aged and young mice.

Long intermittent fasting can damage beta cells at a young age
Short-term intermittent fasting improves blood glucose in all age groups without altering islet cell function and structure. Long-term intermittent fasting is beneficial for adult mice but impairs beta cell function in young mice. The researchers were able to decipher why this happens with the help of high-resolution single-cell sequencing. They found that the beta cells in the younger mice failed to mature properly. The researchers compared their mouse findings to data from human tissues. Patients with type 1 diabetes, where beta cells are destroyed by an autoimmune response, showed similar reduced maturation patterns as those observed in the young animals. 
 

Original publication:
Matta, Weber, Erener et al., 2025: Chronic intermittent fasting impairs β cell maturation and function in adolescent mice. Cell Reports. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.115225

Detailed information from our DZD partner Helmholtz Munich