Intermittent Fasting

Darshan Mehta, MD MPH, the Osher Center’s Director of Education, is co-course director for this upcoming half-day accredited course (3.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit) at Mass General Brigham on June 25th.

This online course will be delivered by distinguished faculty from Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Tufts University, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, University of Michigan, UC Riverside, Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health and the Ayurvedic Institute.

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Well before the scientific world became aware of the tremendous health benefits of fasting, intermittent fasting, and caloric restriction, this practice was being observed by participants from a variety of cultures over the span of thousands of years. Recent research has shown that intermittent fasting of up to 20 hours each day can have significant health benefits ranging from an increase in life span to better outcomes in cancer treatment therapies (Cabo et al, New England Journal of Medicine, 2019). However, a variety of benefits can be obtained by participating in different regimens of intermittent fasting.

Given the increased popularity and interest, there is a need for trans-disciplinary dialogue, especially since thousands of people adhere to fasting in the dharmic traditions. One goal of this conference will be to invite academic scholars to elaborate upon the different fasting methods/regimens, how people prepare/train for fasts, and the types of foods allowed/disallowed during intermittent fasting. In addition, this might provide “food for thought” to scientists and researchers as opportunities for further inquiry. This dialogue will help to delineate what type of intermittent fasting is well supported by current scientific understanding and what remains to be investigated. In addition, the current scientific evidence can also inform practices that may be detrimental to health. Finally, the last goal of this meeting is to minimize the cultural appropriation around intermittent fasting and acknowledge the contributions that the worldwide traditions have in these practices.