My mother, a devout Jain, used to fast regularly - like no food one day every week, or only 1 meal daily for 2 weeks or no food for 2 weeks, etc. Me and my elder siblings used to constantly fight with her to stop these fasts, as we were brought up on the anthem of eating every 2 hours to stay healthy! She listened to us, but never gave in, and continued to fast, as she pleased.
My mother’s fasting was based on teachings from the Jainism - which encouraged regular fasting, as also longer fasts in certain seasons. As I grew up, I also saw friends from different religions, and especially their elder folks fast regularly. However, fasting never caught my fancy and I never so much as skipped a meal, until a few years ago, when I dived into understanding Age Reversal.
Fasting or rather, its new incarnation - intermittent fasting or simpy IF, is the new buzzword for health, healthy longevity and age reversal backed by Science and research being conducted by leading experts in the field of Medicine, Gerontology, Biology, etc.
But what is IF?
IF simply means to almost stop eating, with intent, for a certain length of time. Minimum fasting period is 12 hours. Fasting includes intermittent fasting, time restricted eating, etc. Popular fasts being followed by IF enthusiasts:
16:8: eat 2 / 3 meals in 8 hours and fast for 16
20:4: eat 2 meals in 4 hours and fast for 20
Warrier diet: eat a calorie restricted meal in 4 hours and fast for 20
OMAD: One Meal A Day after 23 hours
24 hours: eat the next meal after 24 hours
36 hours: eat the next meal after 36 hours
4:3: Or Alternate day fasting: consume no food, every second day
5:2: eat 5 days a week and fast for balance 2
There can be multiple variants to the above broad theme, of no eating for a certain time period - depending on one’s preference, practicality, health issues, etc. Generally, zero calorie drinks such as water, black tea, green tea or black coffee are permitted in the fasting period.
IF Research etymology:
One of the first known supporter of fasting - from back in the 5th century BCE, was the “father of modern medicine” Hippocrates. Fasting has been practised in ancient Greece, in ancient India, and has been supported by all religions in some form or the other.
But active support for IF, from the scientific community, started only from early 2000. Hundreds of animal studies and scores of human clinical trials have shown that IF can lead to improvements in multiple health conditions. The latest is a study to prescribe IF as a first line medical treatment for cancer patients!
What are the experts saying?
Dr Victor Longo1: “The data supports a 12 hour fast, because there are virtually no negative studies for that,” he says. “Yes, 16 hours can be effective in some cases, but there are also lots of negative studies about people skipping breakfast and fasting for 16 hours a day.”2
David Sinclair, PhD3: Time-restricted feeding, which involves not eating for at least 16 hours within 24 hours, is Dr. Sinclair’s preferred fasting method. Sinclair also says that fasting isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. The trick, he says, is to fill yourself with fluids. “For me, constant coffee, tea, hot water, all the way through the day. Being hydrated and filled with liquid takes away any feeling of hunger.”4
Dave Asprey5: You’re rewarding your body when you fast with weight loss and more energy. And according to Dave, this is the key to happiness and health6.
IF: Mechanism of action:
Essentially, fasting cleanses our body of toxins and forces cells into processes that are not usually stimulated when a steady stream of fuel from food is always present. When our body has free time from digesting foods, it focuses on repair and regeneration of cells, tissues, organs, etc.
Also IF puts the body under mild stress, which makes our cells adapt by enhancing their ability to cope. In other words, they become strong. This process is similar to what happens when we stress our muscles and cardiovascular system during exercise. As with exercise, our body can only grow stronger during these processes when there is adequate time to rest and recover.
Benefits of IF proven by clinical research findings on humans
Age Reversal: New research from Atlanta has found that IF triggers a molecule that can delay the aging of our arteries.7
Another study from Japan found that not only does IF appear to speed up metabolism, it may also reverse the aging process.8
Healthy Longevity: Many scientists agree that cellular oxidative stress can significantly influence the rate at which we age. They also agree that, by limiting free radicals and increasing antioxidant content in the body (thereby reducing oxidative stress), we can help slow down the aging process.
A study from 2007 analysed markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in ten overweight adults. After two months of IF, participants displayed significant reductions in oxidative stress markers, thereby slowing the ageing process.
Slowing Cancer growth: IF may reduce glucose levels in the blood, making it harder for cancers to grow. Cancer cells feed on glucose, consuming it at a much higher level than normal cells do. During fasting, one way cells try to conserve energy is by making it easier for cell membranes to metabolize insulin.9
There are multiple studies indicating that IF impacts - an improvement in the impact of chemotherapy, slows down cancers, prevents recurrence of cancers, and hastens patient recovery.
Improves Heart health: More and more research shows that IF also improves your heart and your overall health by lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, insulin, and blood sugar levels.10
Regular fasting is associated with lower rates of heart failure and a longer life span, according to two new studies.1112
Improves Brain health: IF improves cognition, stalls age-related cognitive decline, usually slows neurodegeneration, reduces brain damage and enhances functional recovery after stroke, and mitigates the pathological and clinical features of epilepsy and multiple sclerosis in animal models.13
For Diabetes: A study in Toronto on insulin-dependent type 2 diabetics demonstrated the effectiveness of therapeutic fasting to reverse their insulin resistance, resulting in cessation of insulin therapy while maintaining control of their blood sugars. In addition, these patients were also able to lose significant amounts of body weight, reduce their waist circumference and also reduce their glycated haemoglobin level.14
However, people should seek the advice of a diabetes professional before embarking on any such diet.
For Weight loss: As is obvious, having a smaller eating window must result in some weight loss. However, care must be taken to consume lower calories than we burn on a daily basis. In trials, when compared with other weight losing techniques such as calorie restricted diets, calorie restriction + increased calorie burn, etc., it has been observed that weight loss due to fasting is, statistically, on par.
For Inflammation reduction: Researchers say IF can reduce inflammation in the body. Inflammation is one way the body fights infection, but if there is too much inflammation, that can lead to various diseases. Studies indicate that Fasting can limit inflammation, attenuate pro-inflammatory cytokines and immune cells, improve circulating glucose and lipid levels and reduce blood pressure.15
In short, IF has been shown to provide some amazing health benefits. Almost everyone in the longevity and age reversal space follows some form of IF. Not to be left behind - Hollywood divas such as Jennifer Anniston, Reese Witherspoon, Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman, Kourtney Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, also follow and swear by IF!
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From all the research shared so far and an updated understanding of how IF impacts our health, etc. it appears that IF benefits, in my opinion, are too far reaching to ignore, - in other words, I am a strong proponent of IF.
What should one eat while fasting?
To maximize the potential health benefits of IF, it’s important to stick to nutritious whole foods during your eating periods. Balance each meal with a wide variety of whole foods, such as: fruits, veggies, whole grains, healthy fats and proteins. Try not to overeat or eat unhealthy foods.
Drinking calorie-free beverages like water and unsweetened tea and coffee, even while fasting, also helps control your appetite while keeping you hydrated.
Best way to fast:
So what is the best type of IF to follow? Unfortunately, there is no one right answer. It depends on your objectives, physical condition, health condition, body type, etc. One suggestion before you start - please get a go ahead from your medical practitioner - to make sure that whatever type IF you pursue, will be safe for you. Once you start and are comfortable, you can keep experimenting until you arrive at the type that works best for you.
So life has come full circle for me - from being a complete non believer, and in fact constantly chiding my mother for her fasts, I have become a strong advocate of IF. My mother lived a full and mostly healthy life till she passed away at 90. She somehow knew that fasting was also good for her!
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Dr Victor Longo : The author of international bestseller The Longevity Diet and creator of the fasting-mimicking diet was named one of the 50 most influential people in healthcare by Time Magazine in 2018 for his research using fasting to improve health and prevent disease.
David Sinclair, AO, PhD: Co-director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research at Harvard Medical School, poster boy of the longevity movement, best selling author of”Lifespan”.
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Great article and a very straightforward case for trying fasting. I have to graduate from IF to full day fasts now 😌👍🏼
Thanks for the review. Best of luck for your next phase of IF.