Surprising Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Surprising Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

What is Intermittent Fasting? Intermittent Fasting, or simply IF, is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. In the conventional sense, it’s not a diet. You’ve probably heard about the most common fasting method – 16:8- daily 16-hour fasts, like fasting from 6 pm to 10 am the next day.

Examples of other IF methods are 18:6 and fasting for 24 hours, like twice a week. Intermittent Fasting does not specify which foods you should eat but rather when you should eat them. And fasting is not a new thing for humans. Whether it’s during the typical overnight period, during more extended periods of food scarcity, or for religious reasons, humans have fasted throughout most of history.

Why is IF such a big deal? Studies in mice revealed that intermittent fasting reset the rodent genome. Their genome appeared much younger than they were. Also, intermittent fasting might allow various species including bacteria, yeast, worms, and even mice, to increase their lifespans up to 80%.

There’s little to no this kind of scientific research on humans, but if we extrapolate this 80% lifespan increase on humans, we can predict an average lifespan of 144 years. Healthier and longer life… Very nice, right? Ok, let’s talk about how exactly IF can improve our health. If we look at the big picture, we would find that all the benefits of Intermittent Fasting come from 2 key elements of this eating pattern.

Number 1 is regular - 16-hour or longer - physiological rest for the body. During this period, the body flips the metabolic switch, changing its energy source from glucose to ketone bodies. It usually takes about 10 to 12 hours for the body to deplete glycogen energy deposits from the liver and shift towards lipolysis, or fat-burning mode, where triglycerides are first converted into fatty acids before becoming ketone bodies. Just to be clear, this 10 to 12 hours is an estimate that depends on many factors.

For example, exercise significantly accelerates the fat-burning process. That’s why you might hear a lot of recommendations to couple IF with regular morning workouts. The second element is lower overall calorie intake. It’s not always the case, but usually, it happens, and it happens for a simple reason – eating during a restricted time-frame limits the number of calories we can comfortably consume during the day.

This video is about the benefits of Intermittent Fasting:

OK, what happens in the body when a person follows Intermittent Fasting? A lot of good things, and the key benefits of intermittent fasting are the following.

1.  reduced oxidative stress,
2.  reduced inflammation,
3.  reduced blood glucose levels,
4.  decreased insulin levels,
5.  increased insulin sensitivity,
6.  a decrease in IGF-1 or insulin-like growth factor,
7.  an increase in HGH or human growth hormone,
8.  as well as an increase in neurotrophic factors, and, finally,
9.  cellular repair.

You can also read Here about the benefits of Intermittent Fasting.

A lot, right? But what does all of this mean for our health?

Let’s discuss the benefits of Intermittent Fasting. The first 2 health benefits lie on the surface.

Number 1 is the prevention of type II diabetes. Reduced blood glucose levels, corresponding decreased levels of insulin, and increased insulin sensitivity all play a critical role in preventing type II diabetes.

Number 2 is weight loss. Limiting calorie intake and normalizing hormone levels during the fasting window lead to a calorie deficit and subsequent fat loss. Again, this is generally true, but it isn’t always the case.

Next is improved cognition. Although the mechanisms are still unclear, IF increases the tonus of the parasympathetic nervous system, which relies on acetylcholine as its primary action molecule. How does this affect the brain? It leads to increased synaptic plasticity, meaning your neurons can more easily form new, stronger connections.

you’ll understand and learn new material faster. Brain inflammation is reduced, unnecessary cells are disposed of more efficiently through the process called autophagy, and cognition is enhanced. Fasting makes us sharper…

Moving to number 4 – reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases. This occurs because IF helps the body process metabolic debris, such as radical oxygen species, also known as oxidative stress, to be washed away. As a result, a systemic inflammatory status reduces preventing damage to our blood vessels.

On top of that, because glucose and lipid metabolism activities are diminished, our blood vessels don’t build up new deposits and stay healthier in the long term. Add increased parasympathetic system dominance to this list, and you’ll get lowered blood pressure, decreased resting heart rate, increased stress resistance, and increased heart rate variability.

Great long-term blood pressure values are obtained, and the risk of cardiovascular diseases is dramatically reduced!

Number 5 - improvement of the body’s circadian rhythm. Since fewer calories are burnt, less inflammation occurs and overall body temperature becomes slightly lower. Our biological clock is heavily influenced by our thermal metabolism.

The result is better control of our biological clock and circadian rhythm, and subsequently, better regulation for the release of hormones, such as cortisol in the morning and melatonin in the evening.

let’s talk about how intermittent fasting influences cancer.

Cancer’s main fuel is glucose. Fasting lowers blood glucose, subsequently reducing insulin and IGF-1, both hormones are critical for the growth of cells, including tumors.

Therefore, it may have an impact on cancer prevention and growth. Scientists also found that IF makes cancer cells more susceptible to chemotherapy, by decreasing their resistance. This is because the cancer cells find themselves in an extreme environment with next to zero nutrients.

In a study on mice, IF and chemo increased cancer survival rates from 20% to 60%, compared to just chemotherapy alone. And one more point on this topic. Li–Li-Li-Fraumeni syndrome is a rare disorder that predisposes its carriers to cancer development at rates approximately 3 to 15 times higher than non-carriers.

It dramatically increases the chances of the development of cancerous cells. In an experiment on mice that carried this gene, IF increased their longevity and delayed the onset of neoplasia. More and more studies have arisen suggesting that IF can serve as a preventative function and act as an adjuvant therapy for all forms of cancer.

As you can see, Intermittent Fasting offers a lot of benefits to our health. On the negative side, this diet might result in (1) digestive issues after eating a large amount of food in a short period and (2) interferes with the social aspect of eating, basically no food in the late evenings.

IF is not suitable for (1) children and teens, (2) people with diabetes, (3) people with eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, (4) pregnant or breastfeeding women, and (5) people with some other medical conditions. If you have any concerns, please talk to your doctor.

Intermittent fasting, also known as fasting, is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of eating and fasting. It is a popular way to lose weight, but research has shown that it has other health benefits as well.

Here are some of the surprising benefits of intermittent fasting:

• Weight loss: One of the most well-known benefits of intermittent fasting is its ability to help with weight loss. When you fast, you consume fewer calories, which can lead to weight loss.
• Improved metabolic health: Intermittent fasting can help improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar levels, which can be beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. It can also lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglyceride levels, while raising HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
• Reduced inflammation: Chronic inflammation is linked to many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Intermittent fasting can help reduce inflammation in the body.
• Brain health: Research has shown that intermittent fasting can improve brain function and protect it from neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
• Longevity: Some research suggests that intermittent fasting may increase lifespan.
• Cellular cleansing: When you fast, your body starts a process called autophagy. Autophagy helps your body recycle damaged or old cells, which can contribute to your overall health.
• Increased energy: Some people report having more energy during intermittent fasting. This may be due to increased levels of certain hormones, such as epinephrine and norepinephrine, which can boost alertness and focus.
• Reduced appetite: Intermittent fasting can help reduce appetite and cravings, which can help you lose weight and keep it off.
• Affordable: Intermittent fasting is a cheap and easy way to improve your health. There is no need to buy special foods or join a gym.

Of course, intermittent fasting is not for everyone. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a history of eating disorders, you should talk to your doctor before starting intermittent fasting.

It is also important to stay hydrated and eat healthy, nutritious foods during your eating periods.

If you are looking for a way to improve your health, intermittent fasting may be worth trying. With its many benefits, it is no wonder that intermittent fasting has become a popular choice for people around the world.

Here is the summary of the benefits of intermittent fasting:

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