10 Proven Benefits of Fasting

A person who fasts does not eat food or drink any liquids from midnight to the following sunset on one or more days each week, generally in commemoration of religious figures such as Jesus Christ or Buddha. Although there are many types of fasting, this article will discuss the health benefits of regular fasting, which can help boost your overall health and make you feel more energetic and alive. Here are 10 proven benefits of fasting. (more...)

1) Reduces inflammation

When we eat, foods cause an inflammatory response in our body that helps us fight infections and repair damaged cells. But when you fast, you stop eating foods that cause inflammation. In fact, fasting for as little as a day can reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines (signaling molecules) linked to aging and disease. It may also help increase the production of antibodies and white blood cells (which can help strengthen your immune system). Here’s how it works: When you have something like a bowl of broccoli, it has to pass through your digestive tract before being absorbed into your bloodstream—and if you have low levels of stomach acid or any other kind of digestive issue, more broccoli is going to stay in your colon longer than it should.

2) Stimulates autophagy

As you may already know, your body creates new cells constantly through a process called autophagy. This process is crucial for keeping old, worn-out cells functioning at their best. If you’re struggling with a chronic disease or condition, intermittent fasting can help regenerate cells and keep your body functioning optimally. Autophagy also helps regulate your immune system and reduce inflammation—both key factors in maintaining overall health.

3) Improves insulin sensitivity

When you fast, your body is forced to use stored sugar (glucose) and fat as fuel sources instead of whatever it has most recently eaten. This helps your body become more sensitive to insulin, a hormone that delivers glucose to cells and tells them when to store or release energy. A lack of sensitivity leads to type 2 diabetes and weight gain. One study found that fasting decreased insulin resistance in obese participants by up to 75 percent. Increased autophagy: Autophagy is an essential metabolic function involving self-eating and recycling parts of cells—the literal meaning is self-eating in Greek.

4) Boosts mental focus

As mentioned above, fasting increases ketone levels. Ketones are a source of clean energy for your brain. This means that your mental performance will increase while you’re in a fasted state (with no food), but also once you begin to eat again. Further research published in Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry suggests that eating when you’re hungry can reduce brain function; by giving your body clean energy from ketones, you can prevent overeating or over-snacking and lose weight. Make sure to drink plenty of water to combat dehydration during fasts longer than 24 hours.

5) Fights off disease

Every cell in your body carries DNA, and as you age and your cells divide, there’s a chance that some mistakes will be made. When that happens, they may be passed on to future generations. During fasting, when no food is consumed for a period of time, cells are forced to repair themselves so those with errors can’t reproduce. In other words, fasting stops potentially harmful genetic mutations from being inherited. This contributes to a decrease in cancer risk later in life. Some studies have shown that fasting for three days a month can cut breast cancer risk by up to 20 percent.

6) Burns fat stores

Since your body is essentially digesting itself during a fast, levels of insulin—the hormone responsible for shuttling nutrients into cells—will naturally decrease. Consequently, your body will turn to its fat stores for energy. This is good news for dieters since it means fasting can potentially help you shed pounds quicker than usual. Research suggests that alternate-day fasting (eating very little on one day, and eating normal amounts on the next) is particularly effective at boosting weight loss.

7) Lowers oxidative stress

There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that oxidative stress may be an underlying factor in most major diseases and health conditions. Many studies have also shown that intermittent fasting, or IF, may help counteract various types of stress by reducing oxidant levels and increasing cellular protection. (5) Fasting, therefore, helps keep your body healthy by reducing free radical damage. It’s important to note here that while IF is believed to reduce oxidant levels it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s anti-inflammatory—there are ways to reduce inflammation through diet alone!

8) Enhances cellular repair mechanisms

It has been found that fasting enhances autophagy, a type of repair mechanism in cells that clears out damaged or unneeded proteins. Autophagy is especially important for your brain, and research published in Neurobiology of Aging found that it could help protect against cognitive decline. (2) According to Mark Mattson, Ph.D., Chief of NIA’s Laboratory of Neurosciences at the National Institute on Aging fasting is a simple way to enhance autophagy and improve your health: Autophagy allows our cells to get rid of things that are potentially damaging — viruses, bacteria, and other dangerous molecules — by serving as a kind of garbage disposal system for cellular waste products.

9) Increases hormonal balance

During fasting, your body switches its resources from digestion to repair and regeneration. This can help fight diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. In one study done on rats who were fasted for 4 days, their insulin-like growth factor decreased by 20%. [1] That decrease slowed down aging in every cell in their bodies and extended their lifespans. Human beings who have been practicing intermittent fasting for decades also have lower levels of IGF-1 than regular human beings, along with lower incidence rates of cancer.

10) Promotes better sleep

For a cleanse or to manage your energy levels, fasting can help regulate your circadian rhythm, making it easier to fall asleep at night and sleep more soundly through the night. This is especially true when you're sleeping in longer on days you fast. Overall, intermittent fasting is a great tool for anyone who has trouble with sleep. If you're not sleeping well because of something like fibromyalgia, IBS, or another chronic pain condition (or if you don't typically have much time for sleep), then intermittent fasting might be especially helpful in shifting your body clock and promoting better rest through extended periods of quiet time.