What this means
Worms fasted for part of each day lived longer than worms that did not fast. This work was in worms, so it does not show the same would happen in people.
Plain-English summary written by an AI model from the abstract. The original is below.
- Who it was tested in
- C. elegans worms (roundworms), a lab study
- Kind of research
- A study
The science
- Original title
- A simplified intermittent fasting regimen robustly extends C. elegans lifespan without FUdR or antibiotic confounds.
- Authors
- Dasgupta P, Silva-García CG
- Journal
- microPublication biology
- Published
- Oct 29, 2026
- Study type
- Study
- PMID
- 42953508 ↗
Abstract
Fasting-based interventions are conserved regulators of aging that extend lifespan across species, including Caenorhabditis elegans . However, existing fasting studies are confounded by FUdR, antibiotics, germline-less mutants, and bacterial killing, which independently affect lifespan. FUdR alters lifespan, pathology, and stress responses, while antibiotics may affect worm physiology. To minimize these confounders, we developed an adult-onset intermittent fasting paradigm devoid of these factors. Wild-type worms subjected to daily fasting periods of 5 h, 6 h, or 18 h until day 10 of adulthood showed 24-57% lifespan extension. This tractable paradigm underscores the importance of limiting pharmacological and microbial conditions in dietary-intervention experiments.
Dasgupta P, Silva-García CG A simplified intermittent fasting regimen robustly extends C. elegans lifespan without FUdR or antibiotic confounds. microPublication biology. 2026. doi:10.17912/micropub.biology.002408. PMID: 42953508. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42953508/
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