The effect of intermittent fasting on serum irisin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)

In recent years, the trend towards intermittent fasting regimens has increased in the treatment of obesity and many chronic diseases. Our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the effects of these regimens on metabolism is limited. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of intermittent fasting on irisin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels associated with white adipose tissue beigeging. A total of 24 (13 males and 11 females) volunteer individuals between 20-50 years of age without any chronic disease, BMI value between 19-30 were included in the study. Participants performed 16 hours of intermittent fasting daily for 20 days. After the fasting, the volunteers returned to their routine diet. Venous blood and anthropometric measurements of the individuals were taken before intermittent fasting (1st measurement), after (2nd measurement) and 1 month after fasting (3rd measurement). VEGF and irisin levels were measured by ELISA method. Anthropometric data and ELISA results were analyzed with SPSS 22.0 program. When the weight changes of the participants were evaluated, a statistically significant decrease was found between the 1st measurement and the 2nd measurement values (p<0.05), while a significant increase was detected between the 2nd measurement and the 3rd measurement (p<0.05). There was a significant decrease in VEGF levels between the 2nd and 3rd measurements (p<0.05). A significant increase in iris levels compared to the 1st measurement was detected in the third measurement (p<0.05). Intermittent fasting is an effective method for losing weight. Increasing the daily eating time interval after of people after intermittent fasting decreases VEGF levels. The positive effects of intermittent fasting on weight loss and metabolism may be related to the beigeging of the white adipose tissue.