Intermittent fasting is trending, and the world realizes the benefits of time-restricted eating. It is not a new fad. Our ancestors followed it religiously without giving it a name. Nowadays, we continue to eat till it is time to hit the sack, not giving our digestive system to rest.
Therein comes intermittent fasting, where you stop eating for a certain period and then start eating after a time gap. So, this type of dietary trend or rather type of eating is not what we are eating rather when we are eating. The effect of IF is phenomenal. It is good not only for your health but also for your mind. Here are some benefits for this eat-stop-eat again and find out what science has to say about it.
The Types of Fasting
We naturally fast, without thinking of it, such as the eight to 12 hours when we stop eating and sleep. But, there is more to this type of fasting, and there are various ways of fasting too. Either you fast on alternate days, or you fast every day, or you fast every weekend.
The beauty of fasting is you can stay away from food as long as you want to, so it can be as easy and natural as 12 hours, or it can be 16 hours or more. You do, as per the capacity of your body. The 16/8 method is something most people can attempt, and it is simple you go without food for 16 hours. The next is Eat-Stop-Eat, where you can clock in 24 hours of fasting. Stop eating at 6 pm and eat at 6 pm the next day. The 5:2 method where you eat 500-600 calories on two days, where you eat very little. All these methods will help you lose weight or inches, but the best part will help you improve your health parameters.
The Impact on Cells and Hormones
Fasting gives rise to a set of reactions in your body, and the impact is usually on the cellular and molecular levels. Your body adapts to balance hormone levels, and you start burning stored fat levels. This can accelerate the repairing process of the body and even change the genetic expression.
IF is great for increasing the growth hormone almost as much as 5-fold. The Human Growth Hormone has plenty of benefits. It can lead to fat loss and muscle gain. It also improves insulin sensitivity. Once your insulin levels drop dramatically, it can help you drop fat levels and even drip the extra weight. Fasting also gives rise to autophagy, where it initiates the cellular repairing process. This may even increase your body’s power to fight against the disease. Science says that IF can amp up the cellular stress resistance and defense, accelerating cell growth.
The Science of It
Why should you fast? Is it to lose weight? Well, not exactly that. Let’s say fasting makes weight loss easier. You start eating fewer meals and hence consuming lesser calories. This impacts your hormone levels, thus facilitating weight loss.
Various scientific studies showed that intermittent fasting could turn out to be an extremely effective weight-loss tool. Well, a 2014 review study revealed that this type of eating helps lose a person at least 3–8% weight loss in a spate of 3–24 weeks. That’s not all. People dropped at least 4–7% of their waist circumference. Well, there are more and more studies conducted on animals, but there need to be more studies on humans to show the benefits of intermittent fasting.
IF can also make people live 30-40% longer. That’s not all. A New England study conducted on intermittent fasting showed something interesting. It can even reduce your cholesterol levels and blood pressure levels, boost endurance, reduce inflammation and help improve your brain health. While there is more evidence required to prove just how effective IF is.
We need more homogenized trails for the same and not just random trials, but the prospect of the same seems promising. But not all people can try it, especially someone with severe blood sugar dysregulation. So, try it but keep your doctor in the loop. And the best way to try it is to start small and start slow. Twelve hours is good enough for most people but understand and listen to your body before trying it out.