Although fasting has seen a recent surge in popularity, this practice dates back centuries and is considered a crucial part of many cultures and religions. Fasting means abstaining from some or all foods for a specific period. It offers various health benefits, such as blood sugar control, protection from various diseases, weight loss, reduced anxiety, and improved mental health.
Most fasts last 1-3 days, or 24-72 hours. Intermittent fasting, which involves a cycle between fasting and eating, can last a few hours or a few days. There are ample benefits to fasting, and today, we will explore those advantages further.
Before we talk about normal and intermittent fasting benefits, let’s understand what fasting is.
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What Is Fasting?
Fasting refers to abstinence from some or all food and drink for a specified period. It is a centuries-old concept, considered to be one of the oldest therapies in medicine. Our ancestors always believed in fasting and used to have dinner early in the daylight. Hence, at night, when it was dark and the body released melatonin, they would sleep, feeling fresh and relaxed the next day. They would take their first meal after morning rituals, so it was around 14 hours of intermittent fasting.
Fasting has witnessed major modern transformation and popularity in this diet world. Now, many people do intermittent fasting to stay fit and healthy. It involves reducing the eating window or the time during which we can consume food.
However, people nowadays are not fasting as there is an abundance of food. They prefer a sedentary lifestyle with unhealthy eating patterns and habits. So, many yoga gurus, health experts, and doctors recommend intermittent fasting for wellbeing. They motivate people to have a disciplined life and control their minds.
According to them, going without a specific type of food for some time can be beneficial for our bodies. Fasting can involve refraining from some foods and drinks while sticking to only lower-calorie forms of eating. There are ample fasting benefits that we will learn about in the next section.
Advantages of Intermittent Fasting
Many people, from yoga gurus to renowned dieticians to doctors, recommend fasting to ensure overall wellbeing. Fasting can improve our mental and physical health, making us more active, energetic, and fit. Here are the top benefits of fasting backed by science.
1. Promotes Blood Sugar Control
Studies show that fasting can improve blood sugar control, which reduces the risk of diabetes. A survey involving 209 people found that intermittent fasting for 3 days a week can help mitigate the risk of type 2 diabetes by increasing sensitivity to insulin.
Decreased insulin resistance leads to improved insulin sensitivity, efficiently transporting glucose from the bloodstream to cells. Fasting controls blood sugar levels, avoiding spikes and crashes and ensuring better health.
Moreover, time-restricted eating reduces risks associated with metabolic syndrome, which includes five risk factors that can lead to type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.
2. Helps in Weight Loss
If you are trying to lose weight, intermittent fasting can work wonders. Many people are already experimenting with fasting to shed a few kilos and have witnessed amazing results.
When you fast for a whole day for 12-24 weeks, it can reduce your body weight by up to 9% and decrease fat, while improving blood lipids. Furthermore, intermittent fasting can be more effective in the weight loss journey than restricting continuous calorie intake.
One of the benefits of intermittent fasting is that it can also significantly reduce body fat and belly fat, which would help you lose weight and achieve your fitness goals.
3. Improves Gut Health
Fasting can affect the number and diversity of beneficial bacteria in the gut. This improves gut health, and you can witness positive results on your metabolism, weight change, and waist measurement.
4. Boosts Brain Function
Fasting can impact physical health as well as mental health and brain function. It protects brain health and increases the generation of nerve cells, which improves cognitive function.
Fasting relieves inflammation, which helps prevent neurodegenerative disorders. As you restrict your consumption of unhealthy foods or certain foods, you feel changes in your mental health. You become calmer, your brain functions actively, and you are able to focus more on your work.
5. Fights Inflammation
Acute inflammation is a natural immune process that helps you fight infections. However, chronic inflammation can affect your health and well-being adversely. It can lead to various chronic conditions, including cancer, heart disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.
That is why health experts suggest fasting to decrease inflammation levels and promote improved health. The benefits of fasting involve reduced levels of C-reactive protein. A study showed that intermittent fasting for one year effectively decreased inflammation levels and reduced risks of factors that can cause heart disease.
6. Supports Heart Health
The human heart is quite sensitive and heart disease is one of the leading causes of death globally, accounting for around 19 million deaths worldwide in 2020. Therefore, it’s necessary to take care of your heart health by improving your lifestyle and adopting healthy eating habits.
Take a good diet and practice intermittent fasting to reduce the risks of heart disease. Incorporating fasting into your diet plan can improve your heart health. According to a study, fasting every alternate day can reduce cholesterol levels and risk factors that lead to heart disease.
It also lowers blood pressure and levels of blood triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol.
7. Influences Metabolism
When you fast for a day or specific period, your body changes, and so do hormone levels. Fasting makes stored body fat more accessible and initiates the repair process. Fasting supports genes and hormones that improve metabolism. Your body experiences a shift in gene expression, which enhances your muscles’ ability to use fats.
8. Extends Longevity
Last but not least, a study conducted in 2021 showed that periodic fasting increases the diversity of helpful bacteria in the gut microbiome, which includes the Christensenella species, which is associated with longevity. Moreover, there was an increase in sirtuins, which are proteins needed in metabolic regulation and aid in longevity.
Another report states that fasting delays diseases and increases longevity. With so many health benefits, fasting is certainly a healthy practice to adopt and incorporate into your diet routine.
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Types of Fasting
Depending on your health requirements and lifestyle, you can choose the type of fast that suits your body the most. You can combine two or more or ask your dietician or health expert to suggest the type of fast that is best for you:
Juice Fasting- It involves drinking only juices for a certain amount of time.
Partial Fasting- You stop consuming certain foods and drinks, such as dairy products, animal products, processed foods, caffeine, etc., for a specific period.
Water Fasting- You drink only water for a certain amount of time.
Intermittent Fasting- Partial or complete restriction on food for a few hours or days at a time. On other days, you eat a regular diet.
Calorie Restriction- You restrict calorie cons for a few weeks or months.
For faster or better results, you can include alternate-day fasting or time-restricted eating in the given type of fasts. However, don’t push your body or starve yourself. Talk to your doctor to avoid weakness or side effects.
FAQs
Yes, fasting offers various health benefits, including weight loss, reduced risk of diseases, better mental health, improved metabolism, controlled blood sugar levels, better heart health, and improved overall well-being.
There are different methods of intermittent fasting, each splitting your day or week into eating and fasting periods. Fasting for a specific number of hours every day or eating only one meal for a few days every week provides various health benefits.
Fasting may not be completely safe for everyone, especially if someone already has health issues. So, it is recommended to discuss fasting with your doctor or healthcare professional before practicing it or incorporating it into your diet plan. If you are underweight, recovering from an eating disorder, under the age of 18, or have a medical condition, such as high blood pressure, acid reflux, diabetes, etc., avoid fasting.
Although studies prove that fasting is effective for most people, it is not always the best method for weight loss or dieting. To practice fasting, start by limiting the hours of the day when you eat and prefer having your dinner earlier rather than late at night. Focus on the quality and quantity of your food while you eat and eat a balanced diet. Your meals should include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and a variety of proteins.
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Conclusion
There is no doubt that fasting offers ample health benefits. However, you must be careful and consider various factors while practicing it. Stay hydrated, get enough rest, eat nutrient-dense foods, and don’t starve yourself.
Consult a doctor before fasting if you feel weak or have health conditions. Also, adopt a healthy lifestyle and incorporate fasting into your routine strategically after discussing with a healthcare professional.
