Re: Long-fast refeeding effects

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I thought a 3 day fast was a bit extreme.. Al Pater <old542000@...> wrote: Hi All,Below are first a popular press accouny and then a medical account of the effectsthat long-term fasting with only water on human physiology after and duringrefeeding.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3203472.stm... Illusionist Blaine walked free from his Perspex box in London on Sunday,after completing his 44-day starvation stunt.Crowds packed the area near London's Tower Bridge to see the 30-year-old Americanemerge at 2200 BST, clearly weakened by his apparent endurance test.... After his release, Blaine - who had

nothing but water during his stunt - was puton a stretcher by paramedics and taken to a private hospital.Blaine's box was tipped on its side to allow the illusionist to walk out.... A nutritional expert has warned that Blaine risks death if extreme care is nottaken when he begins eating again.Professor Marinof Elia, from the University of Southampton, said the illusionistcould be at risk from serious problems, including a ruptured stomach and suddendeath.About 10,000 people packed the area to watch Blaine's exitThe magician described suffering severe heart palpitations, blurred vision andbreathing difficulties as his fast neared its end.Blaine went straight to a clinic where a team of doctors will assess whether he hasdone lasting damage to his heart or other organs."He could be in hospital for a few days or more than a week," said a spokesman.His team has dismissed suggestions that Blaine has

kept himself alive by havingdissolved nutrients such as glucose added to his water supply, saying that the waterwas pure.It is thought that it could take as long as six months for Blaine to recover hismuscle strength and return to his normal fitness. ...Korbonits M, Blaine D, Elia M, -Tuck J.Refeeding Blaine -- Studies after a 44-Day Fast.N Engl J Med. 2005 Nov 24;353(21):2306-2307. No abstract available. PMID: 16306536 To the Editor: The opportunity to study the effects of refeeding after prolongedfasting is rare. We recorded anthropometric, biochemical, and endocrine changesduring the refeeding period after a much-publicized 44-day fast by Blaine, aperformance artist; we compared the findings with results obtained from a controlgroup of 16 age-matched men who had a similar body-mass index (the weight inkilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) after an overnight fast.Blaine

ingested only water during his fast. He lost 24.5 kg (25 percent of hisoriginal body weight), and his body-mass index dropped from 29.0 to 21.6. Hisappearance and body-mass index after his fast would not by themselves have alertedus to the risks of refeeding. Despite cautious management, he had hypophosphatemiaand fluid retention, important elements of the refeeding syndrome.After hospital admission, he underwent hypocaloric refeeding for the first threedays with an oral, nutritionally complete liquid formulation and oral vitamin andmineral supplementation (Figure 1). His metabolic status when he arrived at thehospital on completion of the fast showed preserved blood sugar of 5.2 mmol perliter and normal levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, but elevated levels offree fatty acids (1.53 mmol per liter; control-group mean [±SD], 0.50±0.27 mmol perliter) and a greatly elevated hydroxybutyrate level (4.92 mmol per

liter;control-group mean, 0.163±0.34 mmol per liter). The levels of vitamins B1 and B6were depleted but were replenished immediately after admission. Hemoconcentrationwas observed on the day Blaine was admitted (day 0), and by day 10 there was slightedema, despite a restricted salt intake. On admission, his potassium level wasslightly low (3.3 mmol per liter), but the magnesium level was normal. Subsequently,the potassium concentration returned to normal with oral supplementation.Hypophosphatemia was observed on day 1 (Figure 1), necessitating prompt treatmentwith intravenous phosphate. Grossly elevated levels of vitamin B12 (>1500 ng perliter; normal range, 150 to 900), high levels of zinc (31.7 mmol per liter; normalrange, 11 to 24), and slightly abnormal liver function (alanine aminotransferase,218 U per liter; aspartate aminotransferase, 157 U per liter) were also observed.High levels of insulin-like growth factor–binding

protein 1 (33 ng per milliliter;control, 14±11 ng per milliliter), somatostatin, and cortisol, low-to-normal levelsof insulin and very low levels of insulin-like growth factor I (65 ng permilliliter; control, 211±53 ng per milliliter), leptin (1.7 ng per milliliter;control, 4.6±3.6 ng per milliliter), and ghrelin (27.6 pmol per liter; control,218±157 fmol per milliliter) were observed at the end of the fast; circulatinglevels of peptide YY, agouti-related peptide, -melanocortin-stimulating hormone,neuropeptide Y, and pro-opiomelanocortin were not substantially different from thelevels in control subjects after an overnight fast. Blaine's sensation of hunger,which he did not have during the first few days, increased considerably on day 3;this increase had been immediately preceded by an elevation in plasma levels oforexin A and resistin, an observation of unclear relevance, given the available data.Al Pater, PhD; email:

old542000@... __________________________________ - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.

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[Guest guest]

I thought a 3 day fast was a bit extreme.. Al Pater <old542000@...> wrote: Hi All,Below are first a popular press accouny and then a medical account of the effectsthat long-term fasting with only water on human physiology after and duringrefeeding.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3203472.stm... Illusionist Blaine walked free from his Perspex box in London on Sunday,after completing his 44-day starvation stunt.Crowds packed the area near London's Tower Bridge to see the 30-year-old Americanemerge at 2200 BST, clearly weakened by his apparent endurance test.... After his release, Blaine - who had

nothing but water during his stunt - was puton a stretcher by paramedics and taken to a private hospital.Blaine's box was tipped on its side to allow the illusionist to walk out.... A nutritional expert has warned that Blaine risks death if extreme care is nottaken when he begins eating again.Professor Marinof Elia, from the University of Southampton, said the illusionistcould be at risk from serious problems, including a ruptured stomach and suddendeath.About 10,000 people packed the area to watch Blaine's exitThe magician described suffering severe heart palpitations, blurred vision andbreathing difficulties as his fast neared its end.Blaine went straight to a clinic where a team of doctors will assess whether he hasdone lasting damage to his heart or other organs."He could be in hospital for a few days or more than a week," said a spokesman.His team has dismissed suggestions that Blaine has

kept himself alive by havingdissolved nutrients such as glucose added to his water supply, saying that the waterwas pure.It is thought that it could take as long as six months for Blaine to recover hismuscle strength and return to his normal fitness. ...Korbonits M, Blaine D, Elia M, -Tuck J.Refeeding Blaine -- Studies after a 44-Day Fast.N Engl J Med. 2005 Nov 24;353(21):2306-2307. No abstract available. PMID: 16306536 To the Editor: The opportunity to study the effects of refeeding after prolongedfasting is rare. We recorded anthropometric, biochemical, and endocrine changesduring the refeeding period after a much-publicized 44-day fast by Blaine, aperformance artist; we compared the findings with results obtained from a controlgroup of 16 age-matched men who had a similar body-mass index (the weight inkilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) after an overnight fast.Blaine

ingested only water during his fast. He lost 24.5 kg (25 percent of hisoriginal body weight), and his body-mass index dropped from 29.0 to 21.6. Hisappearance and body-mass index after his fast would not by themselves have alertedus to the risks of refeeding. Despite cautious management, he had hypophosphatemiaand fluid retention, important elements of the refeeding syndrome.After hospital admission, he underwent hypocaloric refeeding for the first threedays with an oral, nutritionally complete liquid formulation and oral vitamin andmineral supplementation (Figure 1). His metabolic status when he arrived at thehospital on completion of the fast showed preserved blood sugar of 5.2 mmol perliter and normal levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, but elevated levels offree fatty acids (1.53 mmol per liter; control-group mean [±SD], 0.50±0.27 mmol perliter) and a greatly elevated hydroxybutyrate level (4.92 mmol per

liter;control-group mean, 0.163±0.34 mmol per liter). The levels of vitamins B1 and B6were depleted but were replenished immediately after admission. Hemoconcentrationwas observed on the day Blaine was admitted (day 0), and by day 10 there was slightedema, despite a restricted salt intake. On admission, his potassium level wasslightly low (3.3 mmol per liter), but the magnesium level was normal. Subsequently,the potassium concentration returned to normal with oral supplementation.Hypophosphatemia was observed on day 1 (Figure 1), necessitating prompt treatmentwith intravenous phosphate. Grossly elevated levels of vitamin B12 (>1500 ng perliter; normal range, 150 to 900), high levels of zinc (31.7 mmol per liter; normalrange, 11 to 24), and slightly abnormal liver function (alanine aminotransferase,218 U per liter; aspartate aminotransferase, 157 U per liter) were also observed.High levels of insulin-like growth factor–binding

protein 1 (33 ng per milliliter;control, 14±11 ng per milliliter), somatostatin, and cortisol, low-to-normal levelsof insulin and very low levels of insulin-like growth factor I (65 ng permilliliter; control, 211±53 ng per milliliter), leptin (1.7 ng per milliliter;control, 4.6±3.6 ng per milliliter), and ghrelin (27.6 pmol per liter; control,218±157 fmol per milliliter) were observed at the end of the fast; circulatinglevels of peptide YY, agouti-related peptide, -melanocortin-stimulating hormone,neuropeptide Y, and pro-opiomelanocortin were not substantially different from thelevels in control subjects after an overnight fast. Blaine's sensation of hunger,which he did not have during the first few days, increased considerably on day 3;this increase had been immediately preceded by an elevation in plasma levels oforexin A and resistin, an observation of unclear relevance, given the available data.Al Pater, PhD; email:

old542000@... __________________________________ - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.

Music Unlimited - Access over 1 million songs. Try it free.