Short-term therapeutic fasting in the treatment of chronic pain and fatigue syndromes--well-being and side effects with and without mineral supplements [Article in German].
Forsch Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilkd 2002 Aug;9(4):221-7.
Michalsen A, Weidenhammer W, Melchart D, Langhorst J, Saha J, Dobos G.?
  Abteilung fur Innere Medizin V, Naturheilkunde und Integrative Medizin, Kliniken Essen Mitte, Essen. Fasting followed by vegetarian diet has shown to be an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, moreover fasting is frequently used as an adjunctive treatment in chronic pain and stress/exhaustion syndromes. Data on well-being and the frequency of side effects during fasting are mostly retrospective. Mineral supplements are frequently used in order to compensate for fasting-induced tissue acidosis and to reduce side effects. There are only limited data that support this practice. OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of oral mineral supplements on common side effects and well-being during short-term fasting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 209 consecutive inpatients with chronic pain/exhaustion syndromes were recruited. In a controlled non-randomised study design all patients underwent fasting (250 kcal; 3 l fluid intake/day) over 7 days, in study phase 1 without (n = 103) and in study phase 2 with (n = 106) concomitant prescription of standardised oral mineral supplements (3 x 2 to 3 x 3 Bullrich's Vital). Weight, blood pressure and urinary pH were recorded daily. Well-being and mood as well as common side effects (i.e. fatigue, hunger, heart burn, headache) were assessed with standardised self-reports. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics of the 209 patients (mean age 54.7 +/- 10.5 years; 83.3% female) were balanced. Both groups showed a fasting-induced decrease of blood pressure, a slight decrease in mood and well-being on days 3 and 4 with consecutive increase and moderate hunger, i.e. in the evening. Side effects and general tolerability of fasting as well as well-being and mood were not different between the groups. There were no serious side effects in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term fasting in inpatients with pain and stress syndromes is safe and well tolerated, concomitant mineral supplements have no additive benefit.


Fasting followed by vegetarian diet in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review.
Scand J Rheumatol 2001;30(1):1-10.
Muller H, de Toledo FW, Resch KL.
Balneology and Rehabilitation Sciences Research Institute (FBK), Bad Elster, Germany.

   Clinical experience suggests that fasting followed by vegetarian diet may help patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We reviewed the available scientific evidence, because patients frequently ask for dietary advice, and exclusive pharmacological treatment of RA is often not satisfying. Fasting studies in RA were searched in MEDLINE and by checking references in relevant reports. The results of the controlled studies which reported follow-up data for at least three months after fasting were quantitatively pooled. Thirty-one reports of fasting studies in patients with RA were found. Only four controlled studies investigated the effects of fasting and subsequent diets for at least three months. The pooling of these studies showed a statistically and clinically significant beneficial long-term effect. Thus, available evidence suggests that fasting followed by vegetarian diets might be useful in the treatment of RA. More randomised long-term studies are needed to confirm this view by methodologically convincing data.


Effects of a low calorie vegan diet on disease activity and general conditions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis [Article in Japanese].
Rinsho Byori 1999 Jun;47(6):554-60.
Fujita A, Hashimoto Y, Nakahara K, Tanaka T, Okuda T, Koda M.
Clinical Research Laboratory, Sunstar Co. Ltd., Takatsuki.
  There is little objective information about diet therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Japan. We studied 14 patients with RA who stayed in the Koda hospital for 55 days. They basically took a 1200 kcal vegan diet consisting of unpolished rice gruel, juice of raw vegetables, soya bean curd and sesame seeds, and undertook a 3-5-day fast three times. During the 55-day stay, average body weight decreased by 5.1kg. Lansbury index and ESR decreased whereas CRP did not change. WBC decreased and the differential cell counts showed a decrease of neutrophils, eosinophils and monocytes without a change in lymphocytes or basophils. RBC, hemoglobin and MCV increased. LDL-C decreased, while HDL-C increased. There was no change in total protein or albumin. These data suggest that this combination of a low calorie vegan diet and fasting may contribute to improve RA with little undesirable effects on the patient's general conditions.?


Changes in glycosylation of IgG during fasting in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Br J Rheumatol 1996 Feb;35(2):117-9.
Kjeldsen-Kragh J, Sumar N, Bodman-Smith K, Brostoff J.
Institute of Immunology and Rheumatology, The National Hospital, Olso, Norway.

  Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a higher proportion of agalactosyl IgG than healthy individuals. Glycosylation status was examined in 26 RA patients who fasted for 7-10 days and afterwards followed a vegetarian diet for 3.5 months. The decrease in the proportion of agalactosyl IgG correlated significantly with the clinical improvement after the fasting period, but not after the vegetarian diet period. Although the glycosylation status of IgG may have played a role in the improvement of disease during the fasting period, it did not seem to be associated with, and therefore responsible for, the clinical improvement observed after the vegetarian diet.

Changes in laboratory variables in rheumatoid arthritis patients during a trial of fasting and one-year vegetarian diet.
Scand J Rheumatol. 1995;24(2):85-93.
Kjeldsen-Kragh J, Mellbye OJ, Haugen M, Mollnes TE, Hammer HB, Sioud M, Forre O.
Institute of Immunology and Rheumatology, NationalHospital, Oslo, Norway