The benefits of fasting extend beyond weight loss. Check out the latest reports about this impressive medical discovery below.
Fasting benefits explained
Many individuals nowadays limit their meals to an eight-hour window to manage their weight. However, recent studies have shown that fasting can provide benefits beyond weight loss.
In March 2024, a study was published in Nature Metabolism where 12 participants underwent a seven-day fast, consuming only water and no food.
The researchers monitored their physical condition and found that after the fast, the average weight loss was 12.57 pounds.
The study also revealed that during prolonged fasting, several organs undergo significant systemic changes, with over 1,000 proteins showing distinct responses.
The researchers assessed the beneficial and adverse effects of changes in 212 proteins, providing a basis for future targeted therapeutic modulation.
In a press release, Claudia Langenberg, one of the co-authors of the study, stated that the research showed that fasting has health benefits beyond weight loss.
However, it was found that these benefits only became noticeable after completely restricting calories for three days, which is longer than what was previously believed.
The lead author, Maik Pietzner, mentioned that while fasting may be beneficial for treating certain diseases, it might not be a viable option for patients with poor health conditions. He hopes that the results of the study will pave the way for the development of more practical treatment methods for all patients in the future.
There are different types of intermittent fasting, including alternate-day, periodic, and time-restricted fasting. An increasing amount of research has shown that fasting, regardless of the type, is beneficial for treating various diseases. Fasting can also improve brain health.
A study published in Nutrients in 2020 followed 99 older individuals with mild cognitive impairment for three years. The results indicated that participants who regularly fasted experienced positive changes in cognitive function.
In 2020, Nature Communications published a study that simulated the effects of fasting on breast cancer patients in the early stages.
The researchers randomly divided 131 patients into two groups; one group followed a fasting-mimicking diet, while the other group followed a regular diet for three days before and during neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
The results showed that patients who followed the fasting-mimicking diet were more likely to achieve a 90% to 100% reduction in tumor cells.
Also, fasting can increase insulin sensitivity, and studies have shown that it may potentially reduce the risk of hypoglycemia in Type 1 diabetes patients, minimize swings in blood glucose levels, and improve fat metabolism in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes patients.
