“Fasting is the single greatest natural healing therapy. It is nature’s ancient, universal remedy for many problems.” ~ Elson Haas, M.D.
The Power of Fasting
Fasting should be in every peak performer’s tool kit.
It helps us to feel better and increase our productivity.
It can lead to boosting cognitive performance and longer life.
There are many benefits to fasting. Below we will review 8 of the many benefits. These include:
- Boosts Thinking and Memory
- Decrease the Risk of Diabetes
- Help Lose Weight
- Reduce Blood Pressure
- Lowered Risk of Cardiovascular Issues
- Can Help Prevent Alzheimer’s
- Helps with Cellular Repair
- Increases Longevity
8 Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
1. Boosts Thinking and Memory
Though the study was done on animals, a study published in November 2021 in Molecular Psychiatry found that fasting every other day may enhance memory.
There are many benefits to brain health with intermittent fasting. These include:
- Oxidative stress
- Inflammation
- Blood sugar levels
- Insulin resistance
Fasting also helps to increase the brain hormone, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) – which is closely related to depression and other brain problems when there is a deficiency.
2. Decrease the Risk of Diabetes
Blood sugars are controlled and more stabilized through reducing the body’s resistance to insulin.
Healthline notes, “Anything that reduces insulin resistance should help lower blood sugar levels and protect against type 2 diabetes.”
Intermittent fasting has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels substantially, helping to decrease the risk of Diabetes.
3. Help Lose Weight
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine:
“Most of the available research shows that intermittent fasting can help people lose body weight and lower their levels of fasting glucose, fasting insulin and leptin while reducing insulin resistance, decreasing levels of leptin and increasing levels of adiponectin. Certain studies found that some patients practicing intermittent fasting with supervision by their doctors were able to reverse their need for insulin therapy.”
4. Reduced Blood Pressure
Intermittent fasting helps protect your heart by reducing blood pressure and improving overall cholesterol levels.
As the Mayo Clinic notes, systolic blood pressure is the top number in your blood pressure reading and indicates the force of the heart against your artery walls each time it beats.
5. Lowered Risk of Cardiovascular Issues
There have been a variety of studies that have shown that intermittent fasting helps reduce cardiovascular issues and disease, leading to fewer heart attacks.
According to the American Heart Association, “Intermittent fasting could increase a key protein that controls inflammation and protects the heart, according to a new study.”
6. Can Help Prevent Alzheimer’s
In an article by the University of Melbourne, Dr. Elias stated, “animal studies have demonstrated that intermittent fasting was associated with removal of the beta-amyloid protein from the brain, the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.”
This is exciting news, as Alzheimer’s Disease has been on the rise over the years.
To understand how to stop Alzheimer’s before it starts, see our article by Dr. Adilia, How Do You Stop Alzheimer’s Before It Starts?
7. Helps with Cellular Repair
Autophagy is when the body initiates “waste removal” of cells. This process occurs when we fast, and it removes unnecessary or dysfunctional components that build up inside cells over time.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Studies involving animals suggest that autophagy may begin between 24 to 48 hours of fasting. Not enough research has been collected on the ideal timing to trigger human autophagy. Talk to a healthcare provider if you’re considering significant changes to your diet, like fasting.”
8. Increases Longevity
According to the National Library of Medicine (NIH), “Intermittent and periodic fasting…are emerging as safe strategies to affect longevity and healthspan by acting on cellular aging and disease risk factors, while causing no or minor side effects.”
Fasting may trigger a metabolic shift from glucose-based to ketone-based energy.
Again, according to the NIH, “The rationale is ketone bodies are a more efficient fuel than glucose. Indirect calorimetric analysis revealed a moderate increase in VO2 and decreased VCO2 and heat with ketosis. These results suggest ketosis induces a moderate uncoupling state and less oxidative efficiency compared to glucose oxidation.”
Next Steps to Improving Your Lifestyle
Now that you understand the benefits of intermittent fasting, it is time to see who can help you know the best method for you.
Our team at Tiger Medical has the experience, clinical skills, and coaching acumen to help you optimize your health and lifestyle and increase the life in your years.
To talk to one of our professionals, click here to schedule your call!
For further reading, view the following articles on our learning center:
8min to read
