HoldsUp

FoundMyFitness · 2017-04-28 · Rhonda Patrick (host), Judith Campisi

Judith Campisi, Ph.D. on Cellular Senescence, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Cancer & Aging

37 claims checked against research: 2 overstated 4 needing context 29 supported 2 unverified

2

Overstated

0:31:53Judith Campisioverstatedmoderate

Intermittent short-term fasting in humans improves the efficacy of chemotherapy and prevents some of its side effects.

"he was able to show that with this intermittent short-term fasting, and even in humans, he could not only improve the efficacy of chemotherapy, but prevent some of the side effects." (said at 0:31:53)

While preclinical animal studies robustly demonstrate differential stress resistance (protecting healthy cells while sensitizing cancer cells to chemotherapy), human evidence remains preliminary and mixed. In human clinical trials, such as the randomized phase 2 DIRECT trial (131 breast cancer patients), a fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) was associated with higher radiological and pathological tumor response rates and reduced chemotherapy-induced DNA damage in peripheral lymphocytes. However, that trial found no significant overall difference in clinical toxicity between the fasting and regular diet groups. Furthermore, a 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials evaluating therapeutic fasting during chemotherapy found no significant reduction in overall adverse events or side effects compared to non-fasting controls.

  • partial: Fasting mimicking diet as an adjunct to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer in the … (Nature communications 2020) · cited 344x in the literature
    "Here we show that there was no difference in toxicity between both groups, despite the fact that dexamethasone was omitted in the FMD group. A radiologically complete or partial response occurs more often in patients using the FMD (OR 3.168, P = 0.039). Moreover, per-protocol analysis reveals that the Miller&Payne 4/5 pathological response, indicating 90-100% tumor-cell loss, is more likely to occur in patients using the FMD (OR 4.109, P = 0.016). Also, the FMD significantly curtails chemotherapy-induced DNA damage in T-lymphocytes." (abstract, results, passage verified)
    pubmedfull study (doi)
  • contradicts: Therapeutic Fasting in Reducing Chemotherapy Side Effects in Cancer Patients: A Systematic… (Nutrients 2023) · cited 47x in the literature
    "Overall, moderate to high-quality evidence showed that several fasting regimens did not provide benefits compared to a conventional diet or other comparators in reducing the risk of adverse events. The overall pooled estimate for a variety of fasting regime when compared to non-fasting, indicated no significant difference in the side effects (RR = 1.10; 95% CI: 0.77-1.59; I 2 = 10%, p = 0.60)... Based on our systematic review and meta-analysis, there is currently no evidence supporting the superiority of therapeutic fasting over non-fasting in preventing chemotherapy toxicity." (abstract, results and conclusions, passage verified)
    pubmedfull study (doi)
0:45:38Judith Campisioverstatedmoderate

A study in obese individuals found approximately an 8-year difference in lifespan between sedentary obese individuals and moderately exercising obese individuals.

"This was a study that looked at lifespan, longevity in obese people. So both groups were obese, but they compared obese people who were sedentary with obese people who were moderate exercisers. And there was something like an 8-year difference in lifespan." (said at 0:45:38)

The speaker misidentifies the comparison groups from the landmark pooled cohort study of over 650,000 individuals (Moore et al., 2012, PLoS Medicine). That study found a 7.2-year difference in life expectancy (95% CI: 6.5-7.9) when comparing physically active individuals of normal weight with inactive individuals with class II+ obesity (BMI >= 35.0). Within obese individuals alone, moderate-to-vigorous leisure physical activity compared to inactivity was associated with a gain of approximately 3.1 to 4.0 years of life, not 8 years.

Unverified means no publication matching the claim was located; it does not prove the claim false. Spotted an error? See the corrections policy - disputes from the people quoted are prioritized.