A novel fasting mimetic (Mimio) creates fasting-like benefits to hunger control, oxidative stress, and cardiometabolic health in humans

Why a Pill That Acts Like Fasting Matters

Many people have heard that going without food for long stretches can improve health, but extended fasting is hard to stick with and can be unsafe for some. This study tested a daily supplement, called Mimio, designed to mimic some of the body’s helpful responses to a long fast—without asking people to skip meals. Researchers wanted to know whether this pill could curb hunger, ease digestive discomfort, and improve blood markers linked to heart disease and blood sugar control in older adults who were slightly overweight and at risk for diabetes.

A Shortcut to Fasting Benefits

Instead of changing their diet or lifestyle, 42 adults around age 62 took either Mimio or a look‑alike placebo capsule once a day for eight weeks. All participants had a body weight in the “overweight” range and blood sugar levels high enough to be considered prediabetic, but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes. Mimio contains four natural compounds—spermidine, nicotinamide, palmitoylethanolamide, and oleoylethanolamide—that naturally rise in the bloodstream during prolonged fasting and are also found in common foods. Earlier lab work suggested that, together, these ingredients might reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, support better cholesterol profiles, and even extend lifespan in simple organisms.

Tracking Hunger, Comfort, and Daily Life

Participants reported how hungry they felt, how strong their cravings were, and how satisfied they felt after meals every day using a phone app. Each week, they also answered questions about bloating, abdominal pain, mood, sleep, stress, and energy. At the start and end of the trial, they had fasting blood tests to measure cholesterol, blood sugar, and detailed features of blood fats, such as the number of LDL particles and the amount of oxidized LDL—forms closely tied to heart disease risk. The study was double‑blind and randomized, meaning neither the volunteers nor the researchers knew who was receiving Mimio or the placebo until all data were collected, which helps ensure that expectations do not bias the results.

Less Hunger, Fewer Cravings, Calmer Stomachs

Over the eight weeks, people taking Mimio steadily reported feeling less hungry, having fewer unhealthy cravings, and feeling more comfortably full after meals compared with the placebo group. About nine out of ten people on Mimio said their mealtime appetite improved, versus fewer than half of those taking placebo. Digestive comfort also improved: by the final week, most Mimio users reported little to no bloating or abdominal pain, while many in the placebo group still had these complaints. Notably, these changes occurred without any prescribed changes in diet, exercise, or weight‑loss programs, suggesting that the supplement itself was driving the differences in how people felt around food and digestion.

Healthier Blood Fats and Sugar

Blood tests showed that Mimio users also saw improvements in several markers linked to future heart and metabolic disease. Compared with the placebo group, those taking Mimio had larger drops in total cholesterol, “bad” LDL cholesterol, the number of LDL particles, and non‑HDL cholesterol, all of which are used to gauge heart risk. They also had lower levels of oxidized LDL, a particularly damaging form that contributes to clogged arteries, and a modest reduction in fasting blood sugar. Other measures, such as triglycerides, insulin, inflammation markers, and overall long‑term blood sugar (HbA1c), did not differ between the groups over this relatively short time period. Side effects were similar in both groups, with no serious safety concerns attributed to Mimio.

What This Could Mean for Everyday Health

In simple terms, taking Mimio once a day helped older adults who were at risk for diabetes feel less driven by hunger and cravings, experience fewer digestive troubles, and move several key heart‑health numbers in a favorable direction—similar to what doctors hope to see when patients try prolonged fasting. Because the trial lasted only eight weeks and did not tightly control what people ate, the authors caution that longer and larger studies are needed to confirm whether these changes translate into fewer heart attacks, diabetes cases, or longer life. Still, the results suggest that copying the body’s own fasting chemistry with a carefully designed supplement could offer a practical way for many people to tap into some of fasting’s benefits without actually having to fast.

Citation: Grant, A.D., Erfe, M.C.B., Kazaryan, A. et al. A novel fasting mimetic (Mimio) creates fasting-like benefits to hunger control, oxidative stress, and cardiometabolic health in humans. Sci Rep 16, 7812 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-38495-7

Keywords: fasting mimetic, appetite control, cholesterol, prediabetes, supplements