Refeeding drives longevity boost in intermittent fasting, worm study finds

UT Southwestern researchers show that the longevity benefits of intermittent fasting in C. elegans stem from how metabolism resets during the refeeding phase, not the fast itself. A lipid‑burning switch controlled by NHR-49 is turned off after feeding resumes; when this shutdown is blocked, the lifespan extension vanishes. Short fasting cycles extended lifespan in worms by more than 60%, suggesting that targeting the refeeding metabolic transition could mimic fasting benefits in humans.