Fasting in clinical practice: The science, safety and therapeutic application of fasting

This course focuses on scientific evidence underpinning fasting and its role in supporting metabolic health, cellular resilience and healthy ageing.

It examines the different fasting approaches available, explores the biological mechanisms behind their effects, and critically evaluates the current research.

Participants will gain practical guidance on screening clients, understanding safety considerations, and confidently incorporating evidence-based fasting strategies, including alternate day fasting and fasting-mimicking diets, into nutritional therapy practice.

With increasing public interest in fasting, practitioners are often faced with conflicting information, varying fasting protocols and uncertainty around safety, contraindications and the strength of the evidence. 

This course aims to equip practitioners with a clear, evidence-based understanding of fasting, enabling them to critically evaluate the research, confidently advise clients, identify appropriate fasting strategies for different clinical scenarios, and safely integrate fasting, including fasting-mimicking diets, into professional practice.

This course will explore the history of fasting, its cultural and religious origins, and how it has evolved into a modern evidence-based therapeutic approach. It will compare the different types of fasting, including time-restricted eating, 5:2 fasting, prolonged fasting and fasting-mimicking diets, examining their benefits, limitations and safety considerations.

It will then explain the biological mechanisms that underpin fasting, including metabolic switching, insulin sensitivity, autophagy, nutrient-sensing pathways and healthy ageing, drawing on key research and leading scientists in the field.

Examples of the questions it will answer include: Which fasting approach is most appropriate for different clients? What does the evidence really say about autophagy and longevity? Is water-only fasting safe? How should practitioners screen clients before recommending fasting? How can fasting be incorporated safely into clinical practice?

Finally, it will provide practical, evidence-based guidance on implementing fasting within nutritional therapy, including client selection, contraindications, monitoring, re-feeding and the use of fasting-mimicking diets as a structured, nutritionally supported clinical tool.