Fasting is a period of total restriction or abstinence from all foods, drinks, or some selected foods. Recently, fasting has become popular, especially among those who are concerned about their health and fitness. Fasting is done as a part of religious reasons, weight loss, or dieting.
The most popular type of fasting is intermittent fasting that is done for 12 hours. In the case of religious, diet, or cultural reasons, the fasting period tends to be between 24-72 hours. No matter the type of fasting you undertake, fasting will help improve metabolism, lower the rates of heart failure, and give you a healthy life.
Fasting has been shown to have multiple health benefits. Below are some of the proven health benefits of fasting.
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9 Surprising Health Benefits of Fasting
1. It Promotes Good Heart Health
According to WHO, cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of death worldwide, accounting for 17.9 million lives each year.
The best way to reduce the risk of heart disease is to watch your diet and live a healthy lifestyle. Recent research shows that including fasting in your routine will promote good heart health.
Besides, fasting improves the way the body metabolizes sugar, where this can reduce the risk of diabetes or obesity, which are the risk factors of heart disease. Still, you can take heart-healthy diets and exercise regularly to improve heart health.
2. Fasting Helps you Lose Weight
Fasting is one of the easiest and safest ways that can help you lose weight. Restricting yourself from foods and drinks for a set period helps the body burn through fat cells effectively than regular dieting. During fasting, the body uses fat as it’s primary source of energy instead of sugar, which leads to weight loss.
In research published in PubMed, it concluded that whole-day fasting reduces body fat by 9% and decreases body fat over 12-24 weeks.
In another study PubMed, it was found that intermittent fasting is effective than calorie restriction at increasing fat loss while preserving muscle tissues.
In a nutshell, fasting increases metabolism and helps preserve muscle tissue to reduce body weight.
3. Promotes Longevity
Do you know that the less you eat the longer you live? People who fast a lot have higher lifespans than those who don’t. When you fast, the body gets enough time to get rid of old cells or repair the old ones, hence increasing your metabolism.
So, the younger your body cells are, the more efficient your metabolism will be. Also, keep in mind that the less you eat, the less work you give your digestive system.
4. Fasting Boosts the Brain Function
Fasting increases the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF is a protein found in the brain and spinal cord. This protein promotes nerve cells survival by playing a major role in the maturation, growth, and maintenance of the cells.
What’s more, the unique protein will protect the brain cells from changes related to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, because fasting relieves inflammation, it could help prevent neurodegenerative disorders.
However, more studies are being done to evaluate the exact effects of fasting on brain function.
5. Fasting Boosts the Immune System
Any time you fast, the body starts saving energy and it kills off the old or damaged immune cells. When the old cells are killed, it triggers the generation of new cells, increasing the number of immune-boosting cells.
Furthermore, intermittent fasting will activate autophagy, a cell monitoring system that improves immunity. Therefore, include fasting in your routine so that you can give the body time to repair old cells and the growth of new ones.
6. Fasting Promotes Blood Sugar Control
For most individuals with a higher risk of diabetes, fasting can be one of the best ways that can help improve blood sugar control. Reducing insulin resistance can help improve your body’s sensitivity to insulin, helping it transport glucose from the blood to the cells efficiently.
Besides, fasting can help keep the blood sugar steady, hence preventing crashes and spikes in your blood sugar. However, you should know that fasting impacts blood sugar levels differently for men and women.
A certain 3-week study showed that practicing alternate-day fasting slightly impaired women, but their insulin response did not change. However, men had no changes in glucose response and inulin response. PubMed
7. It improves Eating Patterns
If you find it hard to have correct eating patterns due to priorities or binge eating disorders, fasting can be a helpful practice for you. You can practice intermittent fasting all afternoon and you can eat at a set time that suits you well.
If you experience binge eating disorders, you can eat your meal at a certain set time, and then eat the following day at the same time. This will help your body adapt easily and have correct eating patterns.
8. It helps Clear Skin Acne
The skin produces sebum that prevents the skin from losing moisture. When you fast, the skin gets enough time to breath. Through that, cutting products helps the skin neutralize and the sebum moisturizes naturally.
Furthermore, when you are fasting, the skin gets rid of older cells and replaces them with new ones, helping your skin look younger. Therefore, not eating anything for a day or two will help the body clean up toxins and regulate other body organs, like kidneys, liver, and gut.
9. Fasting Improves Mood and Self-Enlightenment
Fasting helps people feel more enlightened and connected to life when they practice martial arts, yoga, meditation, or reading. When there is no food in your digestive system, more room is created for more energy in your body.
With the digestive system free and using less hassle, your mood will increase and this will offer multiple benefits in your day-to-day activities. In addition, when you fast, the production of serotonin is increased -a hormone that stabilizes our feelings, moods, and well-being.
Bottom Line
Fasting has been linked to multiple health benefits, such as weight loss, increased blood sugar control, reducing the risk factors of heart disease, boosting the immune system, and many more.
From intermittent fasting, water fasting, to calories restriction; there is a type of fasting that will suit your lifestyle well. However, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should avoid intermittent fasting.
Before you start fasting, talk to a healthcare professional so that they can advise you on the best type of fast you can add to your routine.