Therapeutic Fasting

The study involved 20 obese patients who underwent either total fasting or a diet of approximately 200 calories. Both methods resulted in similar weight reduction, but consuming 100 g of lean meat daily was more manageable for patients than complete fasting. Hunger was not an issue in any case. However, total fasting led to complications such as oedema, weakness, hair loss, and polyneuritis in one instance, whereas these issues did not occur when small amounts of protein were consumed. Various biochemical parameters were repeatedly analyzed, including ketone bodies, plasma lipids, blood glucose, and electrolytes.