Research
Hormonal
Intermittent fasting improves cardiovascular health by increasing adiponectin levels and reducing pro-inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6, TNF-alpha) and leptin, which contributes to anti-atherosclerotic effects.
Fasting may help reduce chronic inflammation and improve arterial health by boosting adiponectin, a protective hormone. While weight loss is a major driver, the hormonal changes themselves (lower leptin, higher adiponectin) offer independent cardiovascular benefits.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
The use of the IF diet increases the secretion of adiponectin from adipocytes [42]... Adiponectin fulfills its functions by acting on adiponectin receptors... It exhibits anti-atherosclerotic and anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the adhesion of monocytes to endothelial cells.
Why this rating
Based on a review of multiple studies, some showing significant changes in adiponectin/leptin, others showing no change in inflammatory markers.
Source
Intermittent Fasting in Cardiovascular Disorders—An Overview
Bartosz Malinowski et al. · Nutrients · 2019
DOI 10.3390/nu11030673
narrative_reviewCited 300×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Intermittent fasting protocols (specifically Alternate Day Fasting and Time-Restricted Feeding) reduce cardiovascular risk factors by lowering LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure, and by modulating inflammatory biomarkers such as CRP and leptin.Moderate
- Intermittent fasting lowers blood pressure through increased parasympathetic activity mediated by Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), leading to reduced heart rate and blood pressure.Moderate
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