Researchers studied how different eating patterns affect people with a parasitic infection called schistosomiasis, which can damage the lungs. They compared three groups: mice that ate normally, mice that fasted every other day, and mice that ate a high-sugar diet. The study found that mice that skipped meals every other day had worse lung damage, more parasites, and more inflammation than the other groups. This suggests that when fighting certain infections, eating regularly might be more important than restricting calories.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether different eating patterns (skipping meals every other day, eating lots of sugar, or eating normally) affect how severe lung disease becomes in mice infected with a parasitic worm
  • Who participated: Laboratory mice (BALB/c strain) that were intentionally infected with the parasite Schistosoma mansoni, divided into groups following different diets for 15 weeks
  • Key finding: Mice that fasted every other day developed significantly worse lung damage, including more inflammation, more parasites, and more scarring compared to mice eating normally or eating a high-sugar diet
  • What it means for you: If you have a parasitic infection affecting your lungs, skipping meals or severe calorie restriction may make your condition worse. This research suggests eating regular meals might help your body fight the infection better, though more human studies are needed to confirm this

The Research Details

Scientists used laboratory mice infected with a parasitic worm that causes lung disease. They divided the mice into six groups: one group ate a normal diet while infected, one group received medicine to kill the parasites, one group fasted every other day, one group fasted and received medicine, one group ate a high-sugar diet, and one group ate high-sugar food and received medicine. A seventh group of uninfected mice served as a healthy comparison. After 15 weeks, researchers examined how the mice behaved, counted parasites in their bodies, and looked at lung tissue under a microscope to see the damage.

This type of study is called an experimental research article because scientists carefully controlled all the conditions and observed what happened. The researchers measured multiple outcomes including how much the mice wanted to eat, signs of anxiety, parasite numbers, inflammation levels, and structural damage to the lungs.

The study was designed to understand how nutrition affects the body’s ability to handle parasitic infections, since previous research suggested that what we eat influences how our immune system responds to infections.

This research approach is important because it helps scientists understand the connection between eating patterns and disease severity in a controlled setting. By testing multiple diet types and comparing them to medicine treatment, researchers could see which factors most strongly affected lung damage. This type of careful comparison helps identify which interventions might actually help people with parasitic infections.

This is an experimental animal study, which means the findings are preliminary and may not directly apply to humans. The study was well-designed with multiple comparison groups and measured several important outcomes. However, mice respond to infections differently than humans do, so results need to be confirmed in human studies before making medical recommendations. The specific sample size wasn’t provided in the available information, which limits our ability to assess statistical reliability.

What the Results Show

Mice that fasted every other day showed the most severe lung damage overall. These mice had higher numbers of parasite eggs in their lungs, larger inflammatory nodules (called granulomas), and more collapsed air sacs compared to all other groups. The inflammation in their lungs was particularly intense, and they developed more lung scarring (fibrosis) than mice eating a high-sugar diet or receiving medicine.

Mice eating a high-sugar diet or receiving the antiparasitic medicine (praziquantel) had significantly better outcomes than the fasting group. Both of these groups showed less severe inflammation, fewer parasites, and less lung scarring. Interestingly, the high-sugar diet performed almost as well as the medicine in reducing some types of lung damage.

The fasting mice also showed behavioral changes, including reduced interest in eating and less normal movement compared to other groups. This suggests that the fasting diet affected not just their lungs but their overall health and activity levels.

When researchers combined fasting with medicine treatment, the medicine still helped reduce parasite numbers and inflammation, but the fasting component still worsened some aspects of lung damage compared to medicine alone.

The study found that immune cells called macrophages accumulated more in the lungs of fasting mice but decreased in mice treated with medicine. This suggests that fasting may trigger an unhelpful immune response. Additionally, the structural collapse of air sacs in the lungs (alveolar collapse) was most severe in the fasting group and the standard diet group, indicating that maintaining nutrition helps preserve lung function.

Previous research has shown that calorie restriction can sometimes boost immune function in certain situations. However, this study suggests that in parasitic infections affecting the lungs, calorie restriction through alternate-day fasting may actually harm the body’s ability to control the infection. The findings align with emerging research showing that severe calorie restriction can impair immune responses to certain pathogens, though more research is needed to understand when restriction helps versus harms.

This study used laboratory mice, not humans, so we cannot directly apply these findings to people without further research. The specific number of mice in each group was not provided, making it difficult to assess how reliable the results are statistically. The study only lasted 15 weeks, so we don’t know if these effects would continue longer or if the body might adapt over time. Additionally, this research focused on one specific type of parasitic infection, so results may not apply to other infections or diseases. Finally, the study didn’t examine why fasting worsens the condition, only that it does, so the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

The Bottom Line

Based on this research, people with parasitic infections affecting the lungs should avoid alternate-day fasting or severe calorie restriction and instead maintain regular, balanced meals. This recommendation has moderate confidence because it comes from animal studies and needs confirmation in humans. People with parasitic infections should work with their doctor on appropriate treatment, which may include antiparasitic medicine and proper nutrition.

This research is most relevant to people living in areas where parasitic infections are common, particularly those with schistosomiasis affecting the lungs. It’s also relevant to anyone considering alternate-day fasting who has any type of active infection. People without parasitic infections should not assume these findings apply to them, as the results are specific to this type of infection. Those considering fasting for other health reasons should discuss it with their doctor, especially if they have any chronic infections.

In this mouse study, significant differences in lung damage appeared over 15 weeks of infection. In humans, the timeline would likely be different and depend on the severity of infection and individual factors. Benefits from stopping fasting and returning to regular eating would likely appear gradually over weeks to months as the immune system stabilizes.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • If you have a parasitic infection, track your daily meal frequency and timing, plus any respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, chest discomfort) on a weekly basis to monitor whether eating patterns correlate with symptom changes
  • Set reminders to eat regular meals at consistent times throughout the day rather than skipping meals or fasting periods. Log each meal in your app to ensure you’re maintaining consistent nutrition while your body fights the infection
  • Create a weekly check-in to rate your energy levels, breathing comfort, and overall wellness on a 1-10 scale alongside your meal consistency score. Share this data with your healthcare provider to help them assess whether your nutrition pattern is supporting your recovery

This research is based on laboratory studies in mice and has not been tested in humans. The findings should not be used to make decisions about fasting or dietary changes without consulting a healthcare provider. If you have a parasitic infection or are considering alternate-day fasting, especially while managing any infection or chronic disease, speak with your doctor before making changes. This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always follow your healthcare provider’s recommendations for treating parasitic infections and managing your nutrition.