Benefits of intermittent fasting and what are its effects on the body?

Intermittent fasting is all about taking breaks from eating for specific periods, giving your body extra time to burn that stubborn excess fat. When we eat, we often expend more energy than we use immediately. This extra energy is stored in our bodies for later. Eating food causes our insulin levels to rise, which helps convert carbohydrates into glucose (sugar). This glucose is then converted into glycogen which is stored in the liver and muscles. But when our carbohydrate storage space gets full, it turns into fat. Some of these fats are found in the liver, but most find a home in other fat reserves in the body.

When fasting, insulin levels drop, and the body turns to burning stored energy. Glycogen serves as a primary source of energy, and it usually takes about 36 hours to deplete before the body turns to burning fat for fuel. This is where the heart of intermittent fasting lies, the goal is to stimulate the body to burn fat instead of carbohydrates. While many associate intermittent fasting with weight loss due to calorie restriction, it can be done without reducing calories, as there are many health benefits to intermittent fasting that go beyond just calorie management.

Health benefits with intermittent fasting

What are the benefits of intermittent fasting and what are its effects on the body?

1. Low insulin and blood sugar levels. Previous studies have shown that intermittent fasting can lead to a 31% decrease in blood insulin levels and a 3-6% decrease in blood sugar (source).

2. Increase the production of human growth hormone. Growth hormone plays a role in regulating metabolism, and has potential anti-aging effects due to its effect on cell regeneration and tissue repair, maintaining musculoskeletal health, and supporting overall health.

3 Increase cellular resistance to various diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, inflammatory markers, heart disease, and neurodegenerative disorders.

4. Losing weight and increasing the burning of fat in the body. The process of autophagy begins during fasting, which means that the body undergoes a “cleansing” process in which dead cells are replaced with new cells.

5. Positive effect on the hunger hormones ghrelin and leptin. Intermittent fasting reduces the hormone ghrelin, making you feel less hungry, and increases sensitivity to the hormone leptin, which means your body responds better to feelings of fullness.

6. Increase insulin sensitivity and prevent insulin resistance. Higher insulin sensitivity means that insulin has a better effect on the body.

7.Possible reversal of type 2 diabetes.

8. Improving cardiovascular health, including blood pressure. Comfortable heart rate levels of high- and low-density lipoprotein (HDL and LDL), cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose and insulin; And insulin resistance (source).

9. Positive effects on mTor, an intracellular protein important for aging, lifespan, and muscle growth.

Possibilities of intermittent fasting

Whether it's to lose weight, improve health scores, or enhance overall health, this eating pattern offers a range of benefits. Remember, before embarking on any dietary changes, consulting a healthcare professional is essential or customizing it by doing what works best for you. Fasting is not suitable for everyone, and reading about and understanding the risks is essential before starting.

Side effects of intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting should be done with the right guidance, in the beginning, and taking the opinions of doctors is a must to get sound and fruitful results. But fasting is not for everyone. People who should not try fasting include: - Children and young adults - Pregnant or breastfeeding women - People with eating disorders, type 1 diabetes, advanced diabetes, or other medical problems - People who should not try fasting may Being thin or weak is also unsafe if it is done in excess, or if it is not done properly.

Intermittent fasting is a way to maintain our health and avoid overeating, but while practicing intermittent fasting can be a healthy approach, the basic diet must be monitored to eat the desired body weight and focus on the purpose of practicing intermittent fasting.

It can be safely said that in case of nutritional deficiency from natural sources, nutritional supplements for protein, vitamins and other important minerals can be derived.