HEALTH BENEFITS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING

As another New Year begins all the promises of healthier living, getting fit, losing weight etc are in full flow. Gym owners are rubbing their hands in glee as the membership numbers shoot through the roof. It is great to see any individual trying to improve their health, but the longevity and consistency of their training modality is the key.

As I promised in my last article I promised I would further explore some of the health benefits of IF. Autophagy is a process where the body destroys old and damaged cells and stimulates their removal. If these damaged cells where to remain in the body it can cause chronic inflammation. Intermittent fasting promotes this autophagy process.

Autophagy is a normal process that occurs naturally in the body. Autophagy is self eating, the body is cleaning out old cells that exist in the body to allow the renewal of new and rejuvenated healthy cells. When the autophagy process slows dead proteins remain in the body and start to accumulate. Dead proteins have been known to encourage chronic diseases (Alzheimers) and cancers. Studies have indicated that individuals who have a low ability to induce autophagy tend to be heavier, require more sleep and have higher cholesterol and decreased brain function.

One of the most effective ways to stimulate autophagy is fasting. When you deprive the body of certain nutrients for a period of time this turns the autophagy process on. When we eat, our body's natural response is to produce insulin, glucagon (the hormone opposite to insulin) reduces. When we fast our insulin levels drop but more importantly the glucagon hormone increases, stimulating autophagy. The name of the organs that responsible for cleaning out the old cells in our bodies is known as autophagosomes. These autophagosomes can increase by as much as 300 % after fasting.

Radiation oncologists in the USA have described autophagy as a physiological recycling programme. They have claimed the autophagy process makes your body more efficient by removing any faulty parts, stopping conditions like obesity and diabetes, and stopping cancerous growths.

If having the discipline to not eat for 16 hours can elicit some of these health benefits to give you a healthier life, then I'm sure you would agree the sacrifice is worth the rewards.