Intermittent Fasting in Human Health: Metabolic and Circadian Regulation, Clinical Applications and Therapeutic Potential

Dear Colleagues,

Intermittent fasting (IF), which is defined by structured cycles of fasting and feeding without necessarily altering dietary composition, has emerged as a prominent nutritional strategy with substantial implications for disease prevention and overall human health. An increasing amount of experimental and clinical evidence indicates that IF exerts beneficial effects on body weight regulation, insulin sensitivity, metabolic flexibility, and cardiometabolic risk profiles, positioning it as a promising non-pharmacological intervention for chronic disease management.

At the molecular and cellular levels, intermittent fasting induces a coordinated metabolic switch from glucose utilization to fatty acid oxidation and ketone body production. This transition activates evolutionarily conserved chronobiological and adaptive stress-response pathways that enhance cellular resilience. Key mechanisms include attenuation of oxidative stress and systemic inflammation, upregulation of autophagy and DNA-repair processes, optimization of mitochondrial bioenergetics, and modulation of nutrient-sensing pathways such as AMPK, mTOR, and sirtuins. These pathways are critically involved in the pathophysiology of major non-communicable diseases, including cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and age-related functional decline.

Moreover, accumulating evidence suggests that intermittent fasting influences neuroendocrine and immune signaling, promoting the expression of neurotrophic, anti-inflammatory, and cytoprotective factors. Such effects may contribute to improved cognitive performance, enhanced stress resistance, and delayed progression of neurodegenerative conditions. Collectively, these findings support the concept of intermittent fasting as a systemic modulator of biological aging and disease susceptibility.

This Special Issue, “Intermittent Fasting in Human Health: Metabolic and Circadian Regulation, Clinical Applications and Therapeutic Potential”, aims to collect high-quality research that elucidates the molecular mechanisms, clinical outcomes, and translational relevance of intermittent fasting across health and disease states. We seek to provide an integrated perspective on the role of intermittent fasting in the prevention and treatment of metabolic disorders, chronobiological misalignments, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and neurodegenerative conditions, as well as its potential application in personalized and precision nutrition strategies.

We welcome submissions from multidisciplinary fields, including nutrition science, molecular biology, clinical medicine, endocrinology, neuroscience, and public health. Submissions should take the form of original research articles, systematic or narrative reviews; short communications addressing both mechanistic insights and clinical evidence related to intermittent fasting will also be considered.

Dr. Cristina Manuela Dragoi
Dr. Alina Crenguta Nicolae
Dr. Ion-Bogdan Dumitrescu
Guest Editors

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