Fasting improves stem cells' ability to regenerate

American biologists have discovered that a 24-hour fasting can dramatically improve stem cells' ability to regenerate. The research was done recently on fasting mice.

Researchers have found that they can also boost regeneration with a molecule that activates the same metabolic switch. The study has thus provided evidence that fasting induces a metabolic switch in the intestinal stem cells, from utilising carbohydrates to burning fat.

Intestinal stem cells are important for maintaining the lining of the intestine, which typically renews itself every five days. Stem cells are key to repairing any damage in case of any infection in the human body. But as people grow older, the regenerative abilities of these intestinal stem cells gradually decline.

Such an intervention can potentially help older people recover from gastrointestinal infections. Also, the cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy are likely to be benefitted.

Research is still in progress in this particular field. So, it should not take long for biologists and scientists of related fields to come up with effective treatments for old age health complications.

Naila Hossain

Uttara, Dhaka

[email protected]