Fasting

What if I told you that fasting first became popular as a cure for so many illnesses way before it became the cornerstone of being a religious person? Doctors were telling their patients centuries ago to stop eating whenever they complained of some specific illnesses, and guess what? It worked. Not all the time though, and you can guess why.

Fasting, as defined by Britannica, is “abstinence from food or drink or both for health, ritualistic, religious, or ethical purposes”. This has been an age-long practice that dates back to the 5th BCE and was recommended by physicians of that era for the management of ailments. 

Medical knowledge has come so far from using metal pots to cure headache centuries ago to where we are now, and even fasting has evolved to find relevance today. Fasting offers so many health benefits as evidenced by numerous scientific studies.

How long should you go without a meal to ensure optimal results? 
An ideal fasting duration does not exist. It is all about you, your body and your fitness goals. 

1. Intermittent Fasting (IF) is quite common. You stay off eating for 12–16 hours at a stretch, then you go and eat as much as your belly can take within an 8–12-hour window (not too much, because what's the point if you eat a horse and go hungry for a few hours). Intermittent fasting helps with metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and weight management. You can choose to do time-restricted eating, alternate-day fasting, or modified alternate-day fasting.

2. Prolonged Fasting: Prolonged fasting lasts between 24-48 hours and it is said to promote autophagy which is a fancy term for repair of cells. This fasting style has some metabolic benefits but should be done occasionally and with medical supervision.

3. Extended Fasting: Some people go for 3 days or more without eating, and no, they don't die (but they could get seriously ill). Extended fasting has some deep cellular and immune system benefits but requires careful monitoring and should not be done frequently.

For optimal health, most people benefit from a 12-16 hour fasting window (e.g., eating between 12 PM and 8 PM). However, the best fasting length depends on your lifestyle, goals, and medical conditions. 

How does fasting help improve your health?

Fasting can improve your health by any of these mechanisms: 
1. Promoting Weight Loss: Fasting can help you hit the target of your weight loss goals. Fasting restricts the amount of calories you consume daily. During the fast, your body burns up stored fat to meet up with the energy demands of your body.

2. Improving Blood Sugar Control: Fasting can help you control your blood sugar levels. During fasting, your body tries to compensate for the low glucose levels by increasing the sensitivity of insulin which is the substance responsible for taking up glucose from the blood.

3. Enhances Heart Health: Intermittent fasting has been shown to improve heart health. This is by reducing blood pressure and lowering the levels of Low Density Cholesterol (LDL) which is the bad type of cholesterol.

4. Reduces the risk of Chronic Disease: Studies show that fasting potentially reduces the risk of certain chronic diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Hypertension. This is mediated by mechanisms such as autophagy, reduction of oxidative stress and signals linked with aging etc.

Fasting offers a range of health benefits, however, it should be properly done for optimal results. If you have any medical condition, do seek the advice of your physician before embarking on a fast.

Sources: https://www.britannica.com/topic/fasting 

https://www.health.com/fasting-8620781 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24434759/