This comprehensive 2017 review examines the potential clinical benefits of fasting, drawing data from human and animal trials. The authors present a promising but clearly preliminary body of evidence supporting the clinical benefits of various forms of fasting. They note the evidence suggests fasting improves whole-body insulin sensitivity and may reduce risk of neurodegenerative disease and cancer, though additional research is required to determine whether fasting will lead to hard clinical outcomes such as diabetes remission or heart disease prevention.

This post from the University of California, San Francisco’s Osher Center for Integrative Evidence reviews the evidence surrounding the claim that “fasting and calorie restriction can slow and even stop the progression of cancer, kill cancer cells, boost the immune system, and significantly improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.”