A March 2021 study by the Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and the Experimental and Clinical Research Center run by the Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin found that,
"Switching to a healthy diet has a positive effect on blood pressure,"
"If the diet is preceded by a fast, this effect is intensified."
"The innate immune system remains stable during the fast, whereas the adaptive immune system shuts down,"
"Body mass index, blood pressure and the need for antihypertensive medication remained lower in the long term among volunteers who started the healthy diet with a five-day fast,"
"We were able to isolate the influence of the medication and observe that whether someone responds well to a change of diet or not depends on the individual immune response and the gut microbiome,"
"Those who have [low healthy gut bacteria] often feel that it is not worth the effort and go back to their old habits,"
"Fasting acts as a catalyst for protective microorganisms in the gut. Health clearly improves very quickly and patients can cut back on their medication or even often stop taking tablets altogether."