Fasting, what is it?
Fasting is a period of time when you abstain from eating or drinking anything except water or other liquids.
Fasting is a very old way to clean and cleanse the body and has a great side effect, like getting rid of excessive weight and increased healing.
Over all there are many health benefits to fasting. However, these benefits may vary depending on the type, duration and frequency of fasting like.
Fasting supports weight loss while fasting for short periods of time may help you lose weight by reducing your calorie intake and improving your metabolism. (1)(2)(3)
It also decreases inflammation through helping to reduce inflammation by lowering oxidative stress in cells (4)(5) and decreasing a marker of inflammation called NRLP3 inflammasome (6). However, the exact mechanism and benefits of fasting on inflammation are still under investigation (4).
Lowers blood pressure (7)(8), especially systolic blood pressure. However, fasting may also have some risks for people with low blood pressure (9) or heart issues (8).
Another benefit is that fasting lowers cholesterol levels by speeding up the process of lipolysis (the breakdown of fat) and reducing LDL intake (the bad cholesterol) (10)(11). Fasting may also improve blood pressure and other indicators of cardiovascular health (11).
An important benefit is that it improves blood sugar control by reducing insulin resistance, inflammation and stress. This could be beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes or those at risk of developing it. (12)(13)(14)
It enhances heart health with some types of fasting. It improves some risk factors related to heart health (15). For example, regular fasting is associated with lower rates of heart failure and a longer life span (16). Fasting can also help lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol (17).
Improves long term memory retention by stimulating brain cell growth and reducing inflammation in the brain (18)(19)(20). It also triggers a process called autophagy, where cells remove damaged molecules and dysfunctional mitochondria. Fasting can also increase a protein called BDNF that plays critical roles in learning and memory (21).
Detoxes the body by the the process of removing toxins from your body. Some people believe that fasting can help detoxify your body by activating its natural self-cleaning system (22)(23).
However, there is not enough scientific evidence to support this claim, the benefits or safety of fasting and detoxification for most people. (24) Fasting may also affect your hormones and cause some side effects such as hunger, fatigue, irritability, headaches, and dehydration. (3)
Fasting also allows the digestive system to rest and repair, which can lead to better digestion when eating again. The body can start to repair itself more effectively after 16 hours and after an 24 hour fasting intestinal stem cells regeneration improves. (25)
When we deprive our bodies of food for long periods of time, it forces our bodies to look internally for energy sources. Our bodies are able to enter into a state of ketosis where fat stores are used as fuel instead of glucose. During this state, the body begins to shed dead cells and toxins which helps flush out bad bacteria from our systems. (26)
In addition, research shows that fasting may have additional benefits such as increasing energy levels and mental clarity. (27)(28)(29)
Pillar Two – Quality Food