Intermittent fasting is a simple concept where you cycle between set periods of fasting and feeding. Typically this looks like skipping breakfast and consuming larger meals later on in the day.

Intermittent fasting has become trendy and for good reasons! There are numerous studies that suggest fasting can have a powerful effect on your mind & body.

Here are what I have found in my research to be what I would consider the TOP reasons to practice intermittent fasting.

 

1. Intermittent Fasting Can Reduce Overall Inflammation & Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress significantly increases your risk of chronic disease (1). Oxidative stress creates free radicals which are like tiny torpedoes creating breaks and holes in DNA (1). When DNA has numerous errors its autocorrect mechanisms cannot keep up. Overall sloppy DNA changes gene expression and cellular cascades and functioning of cells (2). The end result is that disease develops.

bottom line:  Studies show intermittent fasting may reduce oxidative damage as well as inflammation your body. This is very important for overall good health and wellness. 

2. Intermittent Fasting Can Help Reduce Stubborn Belly Fat and Promote Weight Loss

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Intermittent fasting is a simple strategy that can help you over come a plateau and promote significant weight loss. Intermittent fasting is more then skipping a meal and creating a caloric deficit. Intermittent fasting enhances hormone levels in order to facilitate weight loss. Short term fasting increases your metabolic rate by 3.6-14% helping you to burn additional calories (3). A 2014 review showed those for practice intermittent fasting and can lose 3-8% over 3-24 weeks(4)!

Bottom line: Intermittent fasting will help  you to create a caloric deficit, increase your metabolism and is an effect tool to use in combination with a healthy eating and exercise plan. If you want cutting edge strategies to lose fat then download my Free guide to know more. 

3. Intermittent Fasting Can Reduce Insulin Resistance & Lower Your Risk of Developing Type 2 Diabetes 

Type 2 diabetes is becoming more common and is largely due to increasing insulin resistance. Intermittent fasting reduces insulin resistance and leads to an impressive reduction in blood sugar levels (5).

One human study showed that intermittent fasting lowered blood sugar by 3-6% and fasting insulin by 20-31% (6). This study compared caloric restriction vs. intermittent fasting without caloric restriction in type 2 diabetics and showed intermittent fasting may be an alternative option for weight loss (6). This is impressive because it means even without reducing calories intermittent fasting leads to better insulin control and weight loss.

Bottom line: Intermittent fasting reduces insulin resistance & blood sugar levels BUT it is NOT recommend to start intermittent fasting without medical supervision. Intermittent fasting is not appropriate for type 1 diabetes and can be very dangerous if done inappropriately in those with type 2 diabetes.

4. Intermittent Fasting May Promote Cardiovascular Health

According the WHO cardiovascular disease is the number one leading cause of death worldwide. Up to 80% of premature heart disease and stroke can be prevented by adopting healthy behaviours.

Various health markers can help us predict your risk of heart disease. Intermittent fasting improves these measures: Blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, makers of inflammation and blood sugar levels (5,6).

Bottom line: Research shows that intermittent fasting reduces risk factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease. 

5. Intermittent Fasting Facilitates Repair

During periods of fasting your body rests, and repairs. All throughout our body we must “clean” up after ourselves. This “waste removal” process is called autophagy.

During this process cells break down and any dysfunctional proteins or enzymes are removed. We need our self autophagy processes to be in peak performance (1).

Bottom line: fasting triggers metabolic pathways that facilitate waste and debris removal from cells throughout the body (1). 

6. Intermittent Fasting May Keep You Mentally Strong 

Reducing oxidative stress and inflammation which we talked about above as well as healthy insulin regulation is important for brain health.

Some very fascinating research in mice has shown that fasting increases nerve regeneration as well as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (10,11). The ability of diet to enhance nerve development and stimulate BDNF may have potentially profound implications in prevention of depression, Alzheimer’s and various conditions affecting the brain (10,11).

Bottom Line: Animal studies suggest that intermittent fasting may have profound implications in the future to protect the brain from various conditions and prevent neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease.

7.  Intermittent Fasting Alters Your Genes & Hormones

Fasting for a period of time causes several changes in your body.

In particular when you fast your body initiates a cascade of events that leads to changes in hormone levels. These changes make stored fat more accessible to utilize for fuel.

Here is a rundown of some hormone changes that occur in your body during a fast.

  • insulin: insulin levels drop during a fast, signally your body to start to mobilize triglycerides for fuel. This facilities fat burning (1).
  • human growth hormone: The blood levels of HGH increase during fasting especially if you incorporate exercise. Higher levels of this hormone allows you to gain calorie burning muscle (1).

Bottom line: Intermittent fasting drops insulin levels as well as increases blood concentrations of human growth hormone. When combined with a strategic exercise plan this leads to fat loss and additional calorie burning muscle. 

8. Intermittent Fasting May Increase Your Life Expectancy 

Animal studies show caloric restriction and periods of fasting extends life (12). While no study in humans will likely ever exist, intermittent fasting has become a trendy and popular weight loss strategy.

In my opinion, given all the benefits discussed above intermittent fasting makes sense. Intermittent fasting is a healthy lifestyle practice I personally use to help me live a longer healthier life.

To find out more about intermittent fasting download my Free Guide: Intermittent Fasting & Carb Cycling For Fat Loss.

 References:

  1. Alirezaei, Mehrdad, et al. “Short-term fasting induces profound neuronal autophagy.” Autophagy 6.6 (2010): 702-710.
  2. Zhu, Yueming, et al. “Metabolic regulation of Sirtuins upon fasting and the implication for cancer.” Current opinion in oncology 25.6 (2013): 630-636.
  3. Zauner, Christian, et al. “Resting energy expenditure in short-term starvation is increased as a result of an increase in serum norepinephrine.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 71.6 (2000): 1511-1515)
  4. (Barnosky, Adrienne R., et al. “Intermittent fasting vs daily calorie restriction for type 2 diabetes prevention: a review of human findings.” Translational Research 164.4 (2014): 302-311.)
  5. Barnosky, Adrienne R., et al. “Intermittent fasting vs daily calorie restriction for type 2 diabetes prevention: a review of human findings.” Translational Research 164.4 (2014): 302-311.
  6. Barnosky, Adrienne R., et al. “Intermittent fasting vs daily calorie restriction for type 2 diabetes prevention: a review of human findings.” Translational Research 164.4 (2014): 302-311.
  7. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs310/en/
  8. http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.3483991/k.34A8/Statistics.htm
  9. Heilbronn, Leonie K., et al. “Alternate-day fasting in nonobese subjects: effects on body weight, body composition, and energy metabolism.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 81.1 (2005): 69-73.
  10. Lee, Jaewon, et al. “Dietary restriction increases the number of newly generated neural cells, and induces BDNF expression, in the dentate gyrus of rats.” Journal of Molecular Neuroscience 15.2 (2000): 99-108.
  11. Lee, Jaewon, Kim B. Seroogy, and Mark P. Mattson. “Dietary restriction enhances neurotrophin expression and neurogenesis in the hippocampus of adult mice.” Journal of neurochemistry 80.3 (2002): 539-547.
  12. Goodrick, Charles L., et al. “Differential effects of intermittent feeding and voluntary exercise on body weight and lifespan in adult rats.” Journal of gerontology 38.1 (1983): 36-45.