Fasting: Backed by Science, Powered by Your Body

Most of us, in a quest for a healthier lifestyle, follow bloggers, vloggers, and doctors for guidance. In an earlier post, we saw the importance of holistic fat loss as a smarter choice over weight loss through crash diets. With the advent of intermittent fasting lately, it raises an important question-  how does our body truly benefit from fasting? Dive into the science behind fasting.

Fasting is an age-old technique practiced across traditions and cultures for religious, spiritual, or even medical reasons. While ancient people may not have had scientific explanations, they certainly knew its benefits. In the modern day, science confirms fasting is beyond just a tradition, but a powerful biological process your body craves.

Let’s get one thing straight—fasting is not the same as dieting. When you break a fast, you nourish your body with all the essential nutrients it needs. In contrast, crash diets impose severe nutritional restrictions, often depriving your body of vital nutrients.

What does fasting do to your body?

When you are not fasting, your body burns glucose (sugar) for energy. However, when you abstain from eating for a short period, your body shifts gears and starts burning the stored fat to use it as an alternative source of energy.

How does your body benefit from fasting?

1. Fat loss- considerably different from weight loss, you actually lose fat instead of water and muscle. Burning the fats stored will help you regulate the fat composition in your body.
   
2. Improves insulin sensitivity- fasting makes your cells more responsive to insulin, improving insulin sensitivity. They help regulate blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of developing type-2 diabetes.
   
3. Reduce inflammation- Fasting also plays a role in reducing inflammation, a key factor in many chronic diseases.
   
4. Boosts your metabolism- increases energy efficiency, helping your body burn fat easily.
   

What changes happen at a metabolic level?

When you don’t eat, your body runs out of glucose (sugar), its primary source of energy. The first step your body takes to tackle this problem is to utilize glycogen, the stored form of glucose in your liver and muscles. This process called gluconeogenesis sets your body into fasting mode. Eventually, your glycogen residues also get used up. This is when your body looks up to fats for energy in a process known as lipolysis (breakdown of fats). As your body burns fat, it produces ketone bodies, which can be used as an alternative source of energy by your brain.

How Your Body Changes Over Time

0–12 hours: Normal digestion, glucose used for energy

12–24 hours: Glycogen stores deplete, the body starts producing ketones

24–48 hours: Fat burning intensifies, autophagy (cellular cleanup) begins

48+ hours: Increased ketone production, potential cognitive benefits

Lesser known benefits of fasting include-

1. Decreased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD)– according to this article , Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMNO), a major risk factor for CAD is produced by your intestinal bacteria. Upon keeping the water fast for 24 hours, they found reduced levels of TMNO.
   
2. Aid in cancer treatment- promising research shows that a fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) when combined with chemotherapy sensitizes the cancer cells to chemotherapy whilst protecting the normal cells.
   

Fasting may not be for everyone.

Despite its numerous health benefits, if you fall into any of these categories, you may not benefit from this. This includes-

1. Diabetic– especially if you are on insulin medications, you will be experiencing dangerously low levels of blood sugar making you hypoglycemic. Also, the other extreme- hyperglycemia may also happen when they break the fast, especially with a high carb food.
2. Pregnant– you need to continuously nourish you and your baby, so, fasting may not be suitable for you.
3. Certain medical conditions– like low blood pressure or adrenal fatigue
   

Slight difficulties you may face when you start fasting

When you are not used to fasting, you may initially face some minor issues until your body adapts to the new lifestyle. These include-

1. Fatigue– you may feel tired as your body is burning fat instead of carbohydrate (food)
2. Irritability– low blood sugar levels during your fasting window may make you feel irritable
3. Difficulty concentrating– your brain may not have enough energy making you unable to focus and concentrate.
4. Hunger– it’s a natural biological response to most of you until your body adapts. But, once you are used to it, it shouldn’t affect your fasting routine.
   

It is important to note that you should consume enough water when you are fasting- a minimum of 8 glasses or 2-3 liters of water a day.  

Fasting is more than just skipping meals. It’s a biological reset. By understanding how it works, you can make informed choices that suit your health goals.

Have you tried fasting? What was your experience like? Drop a comment below.

Happy reading, happy fasting!