Numerous doctors treating long COVID and COVID-19 vaccine injuries now suggest fasting as a potential therapy for overall symptom improvement.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, fasting was primarily used to treat metabolic diseases, with a  number of  doctors recommending it for weight loss and diabetes management. However, this therapeutic approach may also benefit individuals without these specific needs or ailments.

Throughout history, fasting has been widely observed across various religions and cultures. For instance, Chinese Buddhists traditionally fast after their noon meal until the following morning, while Muslims observe fasting from dawn to dusk during the month of Ramadan.

Medical applications of fasting date back to at least the 5th century B.C. Hippocrates, a revered figure in medicine, advocated against eating while ill, stating that “to eat when you are sick, is to feed your illness.”

The body experiences two primary states during the day: the fed state and the post-fed state, also known as the fasting state. These states coexist and have opposing effects, much like yin and yang.

Consuming food generally triggers inflammation, while fasting promotes an anti-inflammatory response. Individuals are not isolated entities; they interact with various pathogens, bacteria, and fungi in their environment. Eating introduces both nutrients and pathogens into the body, triggering the immune system.

However, frequent snacking and constantly being in a fed state can lead to chronic inflammation, which has negative health effects including increased stress on the body, elevated blood pressure, reduced insulin sensitivity, cell and tissue damage, and impaired healing. That’s why chronic inflammation is often associated with conditions like Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and more.

The purpose of fasting in these cases is to stimulate autophagy, a process that breaks down and recycles cellular components and proteins, including COVID-19 spike proteins.

FLCCC doctors believe that spike proteins, whether from the infection or the vaccine, play a significant role in patients’ symptoms. These spike proteins can lead to inflammation, microclotting, mitochondrial dysfunction, autoimmunity, neurological issues, and other complications.

A selective form of autophagy, known as chaperone-mediated autophagy, specializes in protein degradation and typically activates after 24 hours of fasting. Therefore, the FLCCC recommends prolonged fasting of 72 hours or more, if tolerated.

Patients often see an improvement in their brain fog in the later hours of their 72-hour fast, said Scott Marsland, a nurse practitioner treating long COVID and vaccine injury.

He said that fasting has likely helped reduce all known symptoms of long COVID and vaccine injury.

Internist Dr. Syed Haider said that he has had patients who experienced a complete reversal of symptoms during prolonged fasts.

Although there is no definitive test for spike protein reduction, Marsland said he has observed decreased anti-spike antibody levels in patients following diligent adherence to a fasting schedule, particularly with prolonged fasting.

Anti-spike antibodies, which are immune proteins that target and combat foreign invaders such as spike proteins, can provide insights into symptom alleviation.

Dr. Jordan Vaughn, an internist who has analyzed data from more than 800 patients, noted that as patients’ symptoms improve, their anti-spike antibody levels tend to decrease.

Fasting interventions are often compared to the ketogenic diet, which is high in fat and low in carbohydrates. This dietary approach maintains low insulin levels and promotes the breakdown of fat, including the potentially harmful visceral fat associated with inflammation.

Low insulin levels facilitate fat breakdown and weight loss. When insulin is high, energy storage is prioritized over fat breakdown, leading to limited fat use.

He pointed to Dr. Dale Bredesen, the author of “The End of Alzheimer’s” and the chief science officer of Apollo Health.

However, Fung would argue that fasting is a purposeful way of managing one’s day by allocating specific times for eating.

The benefits of fasting can vary among individuals, and the preferred type of fasting can also differ. Intermittent fasting is generally safe, but not everyone responds well to prolonged fasting.

During prolonged fasts, the body primarily breaks down fat, rather than muscle, for energy. However, the extent to which fat or muscle is targeted can vary based on an individual’s body composition. Those who have more fat to lose may lose more fat and less muscle, while those with higher muscle mass may experience a greater breakdown of protein stores.

Studies have shown that lean muscle mass loss occurs within the first day of prolonged fasting, regardless of an individual’s fat and muscle proportions. Therefore, individuals with significant muscle mass may experience more muscle loss and less fat loss during prolonged fasting.

There are different approaches to incorporating fasting into one’s lifestyle—such as intermittent fasting, or longer fasting periods every few months. Social norms, like having dinner together, can discourage extended fasting, so it’s important to choose a fasting style that suits one’s lifestyle and preferences.