Divergent Impacts of Low- and High-Protein Fasting-Mimicking Diets on Cardiometabolic Health and Autophagy

Study background and disease burden

Fasting-mimicking diets (FMDs) have garnered increasing attention as nutritional interventions that replicate the physiological benefits of fasting while providing minimal caloric intake. These diets demonstrate promise in improving cardiometabolic health parameters and stimulating autophagy, a cellular recycling process critically implicated in ageing and metabolic regulation. Most clinical research has predominantly targeted low-protein FMDs to enhance autophagic responses and reduce ageing-related risk factors. However, macronutrient composition beyond caloric restriction may crucially influence the spectrum of metabolic adaptations, including lipid metabolism, cardiovascular function, and microbiome dynamics. Cardiometabolic disease remains a leading cause of morbidity worldwide, driving the need for effective, tolerable dietary interventions. Investigating how protein content within FMDs affects health outcomes addresses an unmet clinical need to tailor personalized nutrition strategies for cardiometabolic risk reduction and healthy ageing.

Study design