Intermittent fasting might actually be a bad move for people with liver disease—it could actually speed up the damage.
March 25, 2026
Original Paper
Time-restricted feeding exacerbates liver fibrosis by promoting BDH1-mediated ketolysis in hepatic stellate cells.
bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.03.21.712927
The Takeaway
While time-restricted feeding is widely promoted as a metabolic cure-all, this study shows it can trigger a process where liver cells consume ketone bodies to drive scarring (fibrosis). The findings suggest that a diet generally seen as healthy could be counterproductive or even dangerous for individuals with underlying liver injury.
From the abstract
Time-restricted feeding (TRF) is widely considered metabolically beneficial, yet its impact on chronic liver disease progression remains poorly defined. This study investigates the effects of TRF on liver fibrogenesis. Using carbon tetrachloride (CCl)-induced, bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced, and choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined high-fat diet (CDAHFD)-induced murine models of liver fibrosis, we demonstrate that TRF consistently exacerbates fibrotic injury. Mechanistically, TRF induces th