Benefits Of Fasting

Hey guys, recently I've started experimenting with fasting due to the plethora of scientific research that claims it has amazing health benefits.

As I write this, I haven't eaten in over 32 hours and I feel fucking amazing!

The great success I've been having with fasting made me want to write this post in order to show you the benefits of it and hopefully open yourself to the possibility of trying it out. But before I list the benefits, I'm going to tackle a commonly perpetuated myth.

Myth: Fasting Makes You Lose Muscle

This is a common misconception based on poorly understood science. The body does NOT consume muscle tissue for energy until one reaches the point of starvation. Then the body begins to consume muscle tissue for energy.

Starvation is not fasting!

Starvation is the state your body enters when it has exhausted its glucose and fat reserves. A normal healthy person's body would not enter starvation for far longer than any reasonable fasting period. This means that your body won't eat itself, don't worry!

Burns Fat & Reduces Cholesterol

This is likely the most obvious benefit that first springs to mind when thinking about the benefits of fasting. However, you'd be surprised how effective fasting is at achieving this.

Fasting burns fat as a result of a low blood sugar level. When the body has used it's remaining energy from your last meal, it begins to dip into the glucose stored in your liver and muscles. Once this glucose is consumed, the body starts to metabolise body fat into energy.

Dr. Razeen Mahroof, from the University of Oxford in the UK, states that the use of fat for energy can help preserve muscle and reduce cholesterol levels.

Detoxifies The Body

When one fasts, the body goes through a kind of detoxification process where the toxins stored in body fat are dissolved and removed from the body.

During this process, the body is using fat for energy which means when fat cells are consumed, the toxins that were inside them can now be excreted from the body.

Releases Endorphins

Research has found that after a few days of fasting, participants had a higher net amount of endorphins being produced in the blood.

If you're not familiar with endorphins, they are so-called feel-good chemicals secreeted by the body during strenuous activities. The release of these chemicals leads to improvement in mood and has a positive impact on mental well-being.

Regenerates Your Immune System

**Yup, sounds far out right? Well it's completely true. **When fasting, your body tries to optimise itself and save energy by using old immune cells for energy.

Dr. Longo stated the following:

"When you starve, the system tries to save energy, and one of the things it can do to save energy is to recycle a lot of the immune cells that are not needed, especially those that may be damaged"

This effect is most prominent when fasting for several days as compared to intermittent fasting which isn't as dramatic.

Conclusion

If done properly, fasting can be an extremely effective tool for helping one stay in peak physical condition. It has many benefits, a few of the most significant, listed above. If you or someone else you know is interested in fasting, please consult a medical proffessional before trying any prolonged fasts.

Sources:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/295914.php