The research on mouse models conducted by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in the United States found that fasting may not be conducive to resisting infection, and may lead to an increased risk of heart disease. The study, published in the February 23rd issue of the journal Immunology, may help people better understand the effects of long-term fasting on the body. Researchers conducted a comparative analysis of two groups of mice to better understand how fasting affects the immune system. One group immediately eats breakfast after waking up, which is their most abundant meal of the day, while the other group does not eat breakfast. The researchers collected baseline blood samples from two groups of mice when they woke up, and collected them again after 4 and 8 hours, respectively. During the Blood test, the researchers noticed that the number of Monocyte in the fasting group was quite different. Monocyte are white blood cells that are produced in bone marrow and spread in the body. They play many key roles in the body and can fight infection, heart disease and even cancer. At baseline, all mice had the same number of Monocyte. However, after 4 hours, Monocyte of fasted mice were significantly affected, and 90% of these cells disappeared from the blood, which was further reduced after 8 hours. At the same time, Monocyte in non fasting group were not affected. In fasted mice, the researchers found that Monocyte returned to the bone marrow and went to sleep. At the same time, the production of new cells in the bone marrow has decreased. The researchers continued to fast the mice for 24 hours before re feeding them. The cells hidden in the bone marrow returned to the bloodstream within a few hours, leading to an increase in inflammation. These altered Monocyte, instead of preventing infection, are more inflammatory and less resistant to infection. Researchers say there is ample evidence to prove the benefits of fasting, but like many things in life, balance is crucial. Therefore, to some extent, beneficial things may have unexpected negative impacts in another aspect. (Reporter Zhang Jiaxin)