Fasting is an ancestral practice of starving yourself for a while. Practiced throughout the world for millennia, the periodically abstained food, which was controversial for a long time, has recently gained popularity so much that its followers manage to swear by it. But what about? Can fasting really improve our health?
What is fasting?
Fasting consists of not consuming food and drinking only water for a certain period of time, which can range from a few hours to a few days.
Practiced for thousands of years, fasting, or fasting in the water, has gained popularity in recent years because, in addition to the weight loss it induces and which is why it is sought by people wishing to slim down quickly , more and more scientific work is being undertaken to study the mechanisms and effects, show very encouraging results.
The effects of fasting on health
Studies and studies show that fasting is good for your health. For example, fasting can reduce the risk of suffering from chronic illnesses, reduce inflammation, slow aging processes in the body, regain insulin sensitivity, or stimulate autophagy. which allows the body to recycle its old cells to make new ones healthier.
Most fasts last between 24 and 72 hours and the main reason they are undertaken is that they have many health benefits. Other reasons can motivate fasting people such as:
- spiritual elevation and religious motives
- weight loss
- purification of the body to rid it of toxins
- preparation for medical intervention
How to fast?
Since fasting is about simply stopping eating, there are no strict medical guidelines to follow for those who want to devote themselves to it.
But novices are advised to start with short fasts of one to three days. In addition, it is recommended before embarking on such an adventure to speak to a trained health professional to follow patients during the fast.
Fasts 2 to 5 days and their benefits
According to a study done by a group of researchers at the University of Southern California, fasting for 48 to 120 hours or 2 to 5 days would allow the immune system to regenerate completely, and this would be valid for everyone, fasting or old, healthy or sick. For researchers, fasting would cause the body to begin a process of regeneration.
Professor Valter Longo, who led the study, said: "The good news is that the body is getting rid of the damaged and ineffective parts of the immune system during fasting. And if you start from a system heavily damaged by chemotherapy or aging, fasting cycles can create, literally, a new immune system. "
How does fasting work?
When the body is deprived of food, it has no choice but to continue to operate, to draw on its reserves and to "recycle" as many people as possible. cells, which of course are not necessary because they are damaged or they no longer function properly.
During fasting, the body undertakes the destruction of all the defective cells, looking for them where they are, including the immune system.
Another way to fast: intermittent fasting
If you want to enjoy the benefits of fasting, but you do not feel ready to starve yourself for several days, then intermittent fasting may be right for you. This type of fasting consists in reducing during a day the time period during which one is fed. The smaller the range, the longer the interval, and the better the benefits you get.
In a second study led by Valter Longo, the researchers managed to show that intermittent fasting can induce a lasting improvement in health, notably by slowing down aging processes and treating diseases.
As we have just seen, researchers all over the world are studying the effects of fasting on health, and it seems that their conclusions are always in the same direction: fasting periods followed by periods of feeding. Healthy and Natural Foods Contribute Significantly to the Improvement.
