Both a traditional and modified Daniel Fast improve the cardio-metabolic profile in men and women

Background: The Daniel Fast involves dietary modification similar to a purified vegan diet. Although improvements in several health-specific biomarkers have been noted with this plan, the removal of animal products results in a significant reduction in both dietary protein and saturated fatty acid intake, which results in a loss of lean body mass and a reduction in HDL-cholesterol. Methods. We assigned 29 men and women to either a traditional or modified Daniel Fast for 21 days and measured anthropometric and biochemical markers of health pre and post intervention. The modified Daniel Fast was otherwise identical to the traditional plan but included one serving per day of lean meat and dairy (skim milk), providing approximately 30 grams per day of additional protein. Results: Compared to baseline, both plans resulted in similar and significant improvements in blood lipids, as well as a reduction in inflammation. Conclusions: Modification of dietary intake in accordance with either a traditional or modified Daniel Fast may improve risk factors for cardiovascular and metabolic disease. © 2013 Alleman, Jr et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd