Other Health Benefits Of Fasting Aside From Weight Loss
Intermittent fasting has become popular mainly for weight-loss purposes. Intermittent fasting is a process by which a person cycles between periods of eating and fasting. However, this is not only applicable to those who want to lose weight. There are other benefits that can result from practicing this. If intermittent fasting is followed and adopted into your lifestyle, you can benefit from several other positive outcomes. Here are some of them:
- Blood Sugar Control
Fasting may be a great strategy for blood sugar control. This is because fasting reduces the resistance of insulin in your body. What this means is that the sensitivity of your body to insulin increases, making the transportation of glucose to cells more efficient. Those that are at risk of diabetes may find this a natural strategy to keep themselves protected from the disease. Men and women, however, appear to respond differently to fasting as a means of blood sugar control. Men appear to be less responsive to this strategy of controlling blood sugar levels.
- Stabilizes Inflammation
Your body requires acute inflammation for the tackling of various infections. When inflammation becomes chronic, you become at risk of conditions such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. Fasting may control the process of inflammation in your body, keeping it within the levels and consistency beneficial to the body.
- Improves And Maintains Heart Health
Heart disease is considered one of the leading causes of death around the world. Fasting may reduce cholesterol levels and decrease blood pressure. The result is a healthy heart that does not function under pressure. As a result, coronary heart diseases may be prevented and tackled through fasting.
- Increases Brain Health
Although the research regarding the link between fasting and increased brain health is limited to animal research, the findings are possible for human effect. Research carried out in animals shows that fasting influences their brain structure and function. There is an increased generation of nerve cells and this helps with the cognitive functioning of the brain. Diseases that include the functioning levels of the brain such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s are then prevented and possibly managed through fasting and the observance of medical interventions.
- Prevents Cancer
Limited research shows a link between fasting and cancer prevention, as well as responses to chemotherapy. It is said that fasting blocks the formation of cancerous tumors. For those who are in the process of chemotherapy, it is said that fasting heightens the responses to chemotherapy. There is a need for more scientific findings and research regarding this experiment, which has been carried out in animals.
- Recovery of Damaged Neurons
With fasting comes the restriction of calory intake. This increases the protein intake that is needed for the survival of neurons. As a result of this, autophagy, which is the enhancement of the removal of damaged proteins in cells, is efficiently regulated. This means that fasting may reduce the chances of suffering a stroke, and improve the conditions of those who may have experienced one.
- Fasting Delays Ageing
Also limited to animal research is the link between the fasting and ageing processes. Fasting experiments carried out on animals showed that those that observed these processes survived longer than the animals that were not put on a fasting program. Understanding metabolic processes may eventually pave the way for humans to benefit from fasting without having to go on extended periods without food.
- Heightened Energy
When breaking a fast, the types of food that are taken have to be kinds that promote the wellness intended by starting the fast in the first place. Whole grains, water, vegetables, and fruits are the kinds of food that are encouraged when fasting. Taking in sugars and high levels of carbohydrates as well as deep-fried fat foods is rather counterproductive to wellness. Eating clean and eating green is a way to have the energy that is desired throughout the day. That sluggish feeling and dragging of proverbial heavy feet are tackled by the healthy eating path one takes when fasting.
Conclusion
Although intermittent fasting has benefits other than weight loss, it’s important to continue engaging medical practitioners when it comes to serious conditions. Conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, and neurological diseases need to involve medical practitioners and not rely solely on intermittent fasting. Fasting may compliment prevention and recovery from such ailments, but should not be replaced by medical guidance. You’re encouraged to visit your doctor before adopting intermittent fasting into your lifestyle. Your doctor will be able to determine which type of intermittent fasting can bring positive results regarding your health condition and wellness.
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