Autophagy - the health benefit behind fasting (not weight loss!)
Many people may or may not have heard that a Nobel prize was awarded to a researcher who made a discovery on the topic of autophagy. Many fitness and health fanatics may understand the benefit of exercising, of fasting, but not understand why. In 2016 a Japanese researcher figured out that in the stage of autophagy the body actually heals itself by removing damaged or dead cells such as proteins, etc. In a sense the body goes into a state during fasting where it eats itself, and in this state the body actually clears out damaged or old cells and then rebuilds.
This video below explains the importance of autophagy:
Like with getting good sleep it is important to spend some time fasting as a way to rest the body. People who live in urban polluted environments are subjecting their cells to constant damage and sometimes going on a fast can allow the body to repair and detox. A proper fast can be done through either going over 48 hours without food, or it can be done by doing the intermittent fasting approach (less effective but does work) where a person eats for 4 or 8 hours a day but fasts for 20 or 16 hours. The final form of fasting is the "fasting mimicing diet" where a person eats 600-800 calories a day for 5-7 days and then goes back to normal. The fasting mimicing diet done once a month is enough to have a medical effect as shown in studies.
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Thank you very much! Totally agree with you! Very wise advice!
This is interesting information, I will try this.
I just want to look good naked.
The property of autophagy ( in Greek ''to eat itself'') apart from the dietary benefits, is also being studied in combating cancer.
Here is a paper on the subject by Kyeong Sook Choi from the Ajou University School of Medicine in Korea.
It's pretty much pictures what we know today and discusses about various approaches. It's a good read on this topic and not too technical.
Good article, thank you for sharing!
Vow very interesting. I normally eat just two meals a day. Breakfast, and dinner, with the time between them being approximately 12 hours. Also, when I travel, I eat very less, which I normally do 4 or 5 times a year. While being abroad, I eat very less, just like the "fasting mimicking diet" you described. But if doing it once a month is very beneficial, I will try to do this each month.
I love fasting and I do it every year. You really see the changes in your body. Loose weight, clear skin and healthy body.
I really enjoyed reading your post. Keep it up!
Thanks @dana-edwards. I started intermittent fasting about two months ago along with a plant based diet.
Right now, I am in the 22nd hour of a 48 hour fast. So I am glad you posted an article about fasting instead of a recipe for some delicious looking food.
i live in nyc i fasted for 60 hours, i felt amazing. like a sage or something
I think we want a healthy balance of autophagy; eg, more is not always better.