ABSTRACT

Intermittent fasting is a popular dietary practice which refers to a range of meal timing patterns that involves alternating between periods of voluntary fasting or decreased calorie consumption and periods of normal eating within a specific time frame. Besides its effects on weight management and metabolism, researchers have begun to investigate how intermittent fasting might influence various aspects of human health, including blood-related factors such as anti-haemophilic factor (factor VIII) and complete blood count indices. Therefore, this study aims to determine the effect of intermittent fasting on anti-haemophilic factor (factor VIII) and complete blood count indices. A total of one hundred and twenty (120) blood samples were collected from sixty (60) apparently healthy adults, both male and female aged 18-30 years. Ten millilitres (10mls) of blood samples were collected each during the fasting phase (test) and the non-fasting phase (control) of participants into EDTA and sodium citrate anticoagulated containers and analysed for complete blood count, anti-haemophilic factor, random and fasting blood glucose levels using ERMA HAEMATOLOGY autoanalyser PCE-210N, ELISA and Accuchek glucometer respectively. Data obtained were analysed with the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software. The results showed that total white blood cell count was significantly higher (p<0.05) during the fasting phase (5.53 ± 1.34) compared to the non-fasting phase (4.22 ± 1.95). Monocytes and Lymphocytes were significantly lower during the fasting phase (8.42 ± 1.95, 51.60 ± 7.89) when compared with the non-fasting phase (12.42 ± 3.26, 58.04 ± 15.41) (p<0.05). Granulocytes were higher during the fasting phase (39.98 ± 7.80) when compared with the non-fasting phase (27.20 ± 11.54) (p<0.05). Red blood cells (4.48 ± 0.64), Haemoglobin (12.91 ±1.45) and Haematocrit (37.15 ± 3.92) during the fasting phase showed no significant difference when compared with the non-fasting phase (4.39 ± 0.79, 12.39 ± 2.23, 36.45 ± 5.38 respectively) (p>0.05). MCV and MCH during the fasting phase (83.65 ± 6.39, 28.96 ± 2.30) showed no significant difference when compared with non-fasting phase (83.80 ± 6.63, 28.25 ± 2.87) (P>0.05). MCHC was significantly higher during the fasting phase (34.68 ± 0.50) when compared with the non-fasting phase (33.75 ± 2.03) (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference observed in platelet count during the fasting (144.10 ± 56.77) and non-fasting phase (133.87 ± 49.68) (p>0.05). Factor VIII was significantly lower during the fasting phase (64.46 ± 24.02) when compared with the non-fasting phase (85.93 ± 31.34) (p<0.05). Glucose concentration was significantly lower during intermittent fasting (75.81 ± 1.75) when compared with the non-fasting phase (91.50± 3.58) (p<0.05). In conclusion, intermittent fasting impacts certain blood parameters by influencing immune responses in the body, some blood cell counts and factor VIII.