Doctors are starting to advise patients to follow an intermittent fasting diet in order to improve their health as more and more studies show its advantages.
A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that intermittent fasting lowers inflammation, enhances cardiovascular health and weight control, and lowers the risk of chronic illness.
According to Leigh Daigle, M.D., a medical professional who specializes in bariatrics and weight loss at Methodist Medical Group Weight Management and Wellness Center in Memphis, Tennessee, “anyone wanting to lose weight can using intermittent fasting.”
Insulin and other hunger hormones undergo a number of modifications when a person fasts. Insulin resistance is regulated in part by the fasting. Intermittent fasting also increases energy, mental clarity, and the effectiveness of our stored energy.
HOW IS IT Operational?
We must comprehend what occurs in the body when we eat in order to appreciate the advantages of fasting. Our blood sugar levels change when we eat, and our body sends signals to its systems to “work” or “build” by breaking down food, eliminating toxins, and producing insulin. The body finds this taxing, particularly when we’re eating all the time. For our body and all of its systems to work correctly, we need time to unwind and recharge.
The National Library of Medicine states that because cells are under modest stress during the fasting phase, they respond by strengthening their capacity to withstand stress and fend off illness.
Your body will turn to its fat reserves for energy if you go for 10 to 16 hours without eating, and the fatty acids known as ketones will be released into the bloodstream. It has been demonstrated that this slows the progression of brain diseases and preserves memory and learning abilities.
Even physically active athletes appear to benefit from intermittent fasting, according to a research published in the Journal of Translational Medicine. When athletes on a regular diet were compared to those on a fasting diet, the fasting athletes showed reduced insulin and blood glucose levels as well as decreased fat mass but maintained muscle mass.
The potential benefits of intermittent fasting for the treatment of diseases like obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurological disorders have been established by numerous human studies and hundreds of animal studies (National Institute on Aging).
WAYS TO DO IT SAFELY
If you’ve never done intermittent fasting before, pay attention to your body’s needs and start small. Establish a 12-hour window for eating and a 12-hour window for fasting. For instance, eat only from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and drink just water from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Reduce the length of your eating window progressively as it becomes easier. The 16:8 and 20:4 fasting:eating patterns are popular ones.
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It’s acceptable to seek assistance adjusting as the first one to two weeks can be the most difficult. Water might help soothe a rumbling stomach if you’re feeling hungry during the fasting time. A lower calorie diet, which often results from shorter meal times, is also optimal when combined with intermittent fasting.
The secret is to avoid overindulging in food while you’re not fasting. Observe carefully the caliber of the food you are consuming. When choosing food, it’s recommended to go for organic or locally sourced products to prevent any hazardous ingredients or preservatives that can lead to the accumulation of toxins in the body that cause other health problems. Steer clear of processed carbs, high fat, high sugar, and other unhealthy dietary choices.
WHO SHOULD AVOID IT?
Even though there are many health advantages to intermittent fasting, not everyone can benefit from it. Owing to extended periods of fasting or overindulging when the fasting period is about to finish, intermittent fasting may result in problems with hormone regulation or hormone “spikes” for people with hormone imbalances or certain medical illnesses like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). It’s also not advisable for pregnant women to practice intermittent fasting. Certain individuals may require medication adjustments; for example, blood sugar-lowering diabetes drugs may need to be stopped or reduced. Another example is that, when insulin levels drop, your body retains less water, so you typically cut back on or stop using fluid pills.
TYPE 2 DIABETES
Intermittent fasting is superior to low-calorie diets to prevent Type 2 diabetes in high-risk individuals, according to research published in Nature Medicine. When compared to individuals who followed a low-calorie diet, men and women who only ate between 8:00 a.m. and noon for three days a week and ate regularly for the other four days exhibited better gains in blood sugar metabolism for at least six months. Throughout the trial period, the weight loss in both groups was equal.
Furthermore, a study conducted at the College of Family Physicians of Canada examining 27 studies discovered that intermittent fasting led to weight reduction ranging from 0.8% to 13% of baseline body weight and body mass index. The average weight loss from these trials was 4.3%.
HEART HEALTH
Regular fasting may lower the risk of heart failure and death in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization, according to researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah. In this study, over 2,000 individuals who underwent cardiac catheterization from 2013 to 2015 were monitored for more than four years.. During follow-up, the survival rate of individuals who consistently fasted was higher than that of those who did not. Even after accounting for other health issues, drugs, lifestyle choices, and heart risk factors, fasting remained a highly reliable predictor of survival and a lower chance of heart failure.