Diet Protocol
Extended fasting interval of approximately 72 hours.[2048,2158,2318, etc.]
Superscript reference numbers link to the Sources bibliography.
Composite Rating
Blends evidence depth, community direction, safety friction, and completeness.
Evidence Intensity
90/100
High depth from human/RCT/meta counts
Community Direction
100
Positive Lean • confidence Low
Safety Friction
31/100
Early signal from adverse/interaction markers
Data Completeness
100%
Studies 16 • mentions 7 • links 25
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Best fit: Niche advanced use cases under explicit medical oversight..[397,1155,2048, etc.]
Goal alignment: Metabolic Health, Longevity.[397,1155,2048, etc.]
Protocol Type
Diet Plan
Evidence Tier
HIGH
Best Fit
Niche advanced use cases under explicit medical oversight.
Primary Focus
Metabolic Health, Longevity
Clinical Depth
Humans: 60 • RCTs: 14 • Meta: 0
Cohort / Real-World
Cohort signals: 7
Safety Markers
Adverse signals: 4 • Interactions: 0
Freshness, trend, and study timeline for this item
Status
Trend
→ Stable evidence base
Depth
60 total studies · 7 recent
Timeline
Total indexed
60
Human studies
60
Randomized trials
14
Cohort signals
7
Safety adverse signals
4
Mechanistic signals
3
Weighted direction score: 100 (Positive Lean)
High when large human trial/meta/cohort volume exists for the named dietary protocol.
Total indexed
60
Human studies
60
Randomized trials
14
Cohort signals
7
Safety adverse signals
4
Mechanistic signals
3
Adherence/dropout signals
2
Meta-analyses
0
Distribution of evidence by study design strength
Evidence Strength: High
Composite of study volume, RCTs, and meta-analyses
PMID 23220077 • 2013 Nov
Randomized cross-over trial of short-term water-only fasting: metabolic and cardiovascular consequences.
Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis
Open PubMedPMID 37862821 • 2023 Dec
The impact of prolonged fasting on 24h energy metabolism and its 24h rhythmicity in healthy, lean males: A randomized cross-over trial.
Clin Nutr
Open PubMedPMID 39991046 • 2024
Weight loss-independent changes in human growth hormone during water-only fasting: a secondary evaluation of a randomized controlled trial.
Benefit reports: 1
Adverse reports: 0
No-effect reports: 0
Mixed reports: 0
Unclear reports: 6
Signal confidence: 0.39
Benefits
Adverse
No Effect
Community confidence 0.39 with mentions: benefit 1, adverse 0, no-effect 0.
Subreddit coverage: carnivorediet, fasting, keto.
post • r/fasting • unclear
72 Hour Fast Experience So Far I’m currently on my last day of a 72 hour water fast and this is my thoughts and experience. 1) I feel this fast is the most easiest one I’ve done and I have attempted 72 hour fasts before. 2) I have felt gre…
Open mentionpost • r/carnivorediet • unclear
Just finishing a 72 hour fast, so I can start clean on the carnivore diet. Any suggestions to my first meal which is in 3 hours? I know I’m supposed to take it a little easy.
Open mentionpost • r/carnivorediet • unclear
Breaking a 72 hour fast, with high fat meal? Issues? I had the weekend to myself, and a good portion of my day is spent sitting in a treestand for hunting, so I started fasting Thursday night, and plan to refeed tonight(Sunday night), ive …
Evidence Sources
PUBMED • Human diet protocol literature
Counts from structured PubMed protocol-specific query set.
Outcome: Humans 60, RCT 14, meta 0, cohort 7.[2048,2158,2318, etc.]
Open sourceFront Endocrinol (Lausanne)
PMID 39736329 • 2025 May
Effect of 3 Different Daily Protein Intakes in a 2-Meal Eating Pattern on Protein Turnover in Middle Age and Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
J Nutr
Open PubMedPMID 21740575 • 2011 Jul 8
Bath Breakfast Project (BBP)--examining the role of extended daily fasting in human energy balance and associated health outcomes: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial [ISRCTN31521726].
Trials
Open PubMedPMID 24898233 • 2014 Aug
The causal role of breakfast in energy balance and health: a randomized controlled trial in lean adults.
Am J Clin Nutr
Open PubMedPMID 36194463 • 2022 Oct 4
Retention, Fasting Patterns, and Weight Loss With an Intermittent Fasting App: Large-Scale, 52-Week Observational Study.
JMIR Mhealth Uhealth
Open PubMedPMID 29168341 • 2018 Jan
Introducing the 6-4-0 fasting regimen and the incidence of prolonged preoperative fasting in children.
Paediatr Anaesth
Open PubMedPMID 34702191 • 2021 Oct 26
Quality-improvement project to reduce actual fasting times for fluids and solids before induction of anaesthesia.
BMC Anesthesiol
Open PubMedPMID 26864365 • 2016 Mar
The causal role of breakfast in energy balance and health: a randomized controlled trial in obese adults.
Am J Clin Nutr
Open PubMedPMID 38722043 • 2025 Jan
2D (1)H sLASER Long-TE and 3D (31)P Chemical Shift Imaging at 3 T for Monitoring Fasting-Induced Changes in Brain Tumor Tissue.
J Magn Reson Imaging
Open PubMedPMID 33686571 • 2021 Jun
Intermittent fasting: from calories to time restriction.
Geroscience
Open PubMedPMID 41470839 • 2025 Dec 12
Controversies and Perspectives of Time-Qualified Dietary Interventions.
Nutrients
Open PubMedPMID 39258805 • 2024 Sep
Neuroimaging analysis reveals distinct cerebral perfusion responses to fasting-postprandial metabolic switching in Alzheimer's disease patients.
CNS Neurosci Ther
Open PubMedPMID 39253586 • 2024
The influence of extended fasting on thyroid hormone: local and differentiated regulatory mechanisms.
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne)
Open PubMedPMID 39033506 • 2024 Aug 27
The HuMet Repository: Watching human metabolism at work.
Cell Rep
Open PubMedpost • r/fasting • unclear
Prolonged fasting after 40 Per Dr. Donald Layman, a PHD researcher and expert in protein metabolism and metabolic health, no one over the age of 40 should be fasting more than 36 hours and even that is not recommended because it leads to c…
Open mentionpost • r/fasting • unclear
67 hours in and I can’t stop thinking of food! I am roughly 67 hours into a 72 hour fast and I cannot stop thinking of food! And I am at work! All I want to do is go grab lunch with the guys! My mental aptitude is actually pretty good! I a…
Open mentionpost • r/keto • benefit
72 hour fast on keto? Hey all, I know people in here are pretty familiar with 16:8 and OMAD fasting but curious about who all has done extended 72 hour fasting on keto and what your weight loss was/how you felt doing it? (I roughly follow …
Open mentioncomment • r/fasting • unclear
Serious question. Why do you do 72 hour fast? To lose a few pounds quickly and then gain it back? Are you near goal weight??
Open mentionCommunity Sources
PUBMED • 2023 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 37862821 from Clin Nutr.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2048,2158,2318, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2024 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 39991046 from Front Endocrinol (Lausanne).
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2048,2158,2318, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2025 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 39736329 from J Nutr.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2048,2158,2318, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2011 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 21740575 from Trials.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2048,2158,2318, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2014 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 24898233 from Am J Clin Nutr.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2048,2158,2318, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2022 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 36194463 from JMIR Mhealth Uhealth.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2048,2158,2318, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2018 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 29168341 from Paediatr Anaesth.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2048,2158,2318, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2021 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 34702191 from BMC Anesthesiol.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2048,2158,2318, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2016 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 26864365 from Am J Clin Nutr.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2048,2158,2318, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2025 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 38722043 from J Magn Reson Imaging.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2048,2158,2318, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2021 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 33686571 from Geroscience.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2048,2158,2318, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2025 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 41470839 from Nutrients.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2048,2158,2318, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2024 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 39258805 from CNS Neurosci Ther.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2048,2158,2318, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2024 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 39253586 from Front Endocrinol (Lausanne).
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2048,2158,2318, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2024 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 39033506 from Cell Rep.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[2048,2158,2318, etc.]
Open source