In recent years there has been an increase in interest in intermittent fast benefits. Some claim that intermittent fasting can produce some great results. While the science of intermittent fasting remains conflicted, there is evidence to support the belief in intermittent fasting's benefits.
Intermittent fasting benefits, as some claim, can lead to significant weight loss and all-around improved physical fitness. The idea behind intermittent fasting is that you can effectively "train" your metabolism to be more efficient. Intermittent fasting benefits are apparently quite significant for many people.
It remains to be seen if intermittent fasting benefits extend to other aspects of health and fitness. If intermittent fasting has a positive impact on metabolism, might it provide benefits for certain medical conditions? This is one important question that surrounds intermittent fasting benefits.
What is intermittent fasting? Does intermittent fasting work? And what are the benefits of intermittent fasting? This guide will explore intermittent fasting benefits.
What Is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is simply a program of eating that involves periods of fasting and periods in which you can eat. You are to alternate these periods in a measured program that involves times of eating healthy foods and times when you completely abstain from eating anything at all.
For most intermittent fasting programs, the fast period lasts between 16 and 24 hours, twice a week. The idea is that periods of fasting have been a part of human life for centuries and our bodies naturally benefit from tapping into this ancient eating cycle. Since early humans frequently had to subsist with little to no food followed by times of abundance, we benefit from following this natural evolutionary pattern.
Rather than traditional dieting, which depends on strict calorie counts over a sustained period of time, intermittent fasting taps into a biological mechanism that will ultimately reset our metabolic rate toward higher efficiency, better weight control, and improved health.
How Does Intermittent Fasting Work?
The way intermittent fasting works depends on the type of protocol you choose. In any case, all intermittent fasting programs work by following a schedule of complete fasting followed by a period of replenishment. The two goals of intermittent fasting are to balance eating restrictions with a healthy diet. All intermittent fasting protocols involve an overall calorie deficit.
The most common intermittent fasting protocols are:
- 16/8 Method: You skip breakfasts altogether. Then, eating is restricted to an 8-hour period, usually between 1 and 9 pm. Then you fast for the remaining 16 hours.
- Eat-Stop-Eat: This simply involves fasting for a 24-hour period twice a week. Most people go from dinner one night until dinner the following night.
- The 5:2 Protocol: This is not precisely fasting, but you do restrict your food intake to no more than 600 calories for two non-consecutive days during the week. You are allowed to eat on the other 5 days.
All of these intermittent fasting protocols are effective. You will lose weight unless you end up compensating for the fasting periods by overeating. The main thing to guard against is overcompensating for the fasting periods when you do eat. It can be tempting to overeat any time we are hungry. The easiest way to say this is don't pig out when you finally get to eat. It defeats the purpose of intermittent fasting.
Intermittent Fasting Health Benefits
With all the recent interest in intermittent fasting, the medical community has sought to catch up with some research on the potential benefits of intermittent fasting. Some of the benefits of intermittent fasting include:
Weight Loss
Intermittent fasting works well for losing weight simply by severely limiting your calorie intake. No matter the specific program of intermittent fasting you follow, all of them result in a calorie deficit, and this will lead you to lose weight.
There is always a danger that you will bounce back from a period of fasting by overeating. But if you follow the strict protocol of an intermittent fasting program, this will not happen. All of the intermittent fasting programs are designed to replenish your body with nutrients and help you feel satisfied after eating. Studies have shown that sticking to the intermittent fasting programs can lead to an 8 percent decrease in body weight.
Reduce Inflammation
Inflammation is often the result of oxidative stress, the stress on the body from the presence of free radicals. Oxidative stress can lead to a number of chronic diseases including cancer. Multiple studies have shown that intermittent fasting can increase the body’s resistance to oxidative stress and reduce inflammation.
Decrease Hunger
Even though intermittent fasting tends to leave you feeling hungry until you are allowed to eat again, the overall effect of intermittent fasting is to reduce hunger. Fasting causes the body to slow down the production of hormones that make you feel hungry. Ghrelin is one such hormone. Its purpose is to stimulate hunger. Intermittent fasting can slow down and reduce the production of ghrelin, and this means decreased hunger over time.
Enhance Cognitive Support
Intermittent fasting has the effect of increasing metabolic processes that improve cognitive function. The reduction in oxidative stress and increased resistance to free radicals tend to increase brain health. What is more, studies have found that intermittent fasting also enhances brain function. It is thought that intermittent fasting increases levels of brain proteins that enhance cognitive processes.
Promote a Healthy Heart
Heart disease is the leading cause of death around the world. The many factors that lead to heart disease are largely attributable to diet and lifestyle issues. Intermittent fasting can decrease the risk of heart disease.
Intermittent fasting has the overall benefit of reducing risk factors like blood sugar levels, blood pressure, blood triglycerides, LDL or bad cholesterol, and a number of inflammatory markers. All of this promotes a healthy heart.
Improves Blood Sugar
The main goal for improved blood sugar levels is insulin resistance. When you reduce insulin resistance you also lower blood sugar levels, and this reduces your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Studies on intermittent fasting have shown that it contributes to healthy insulin resistance and healthy blood sugar levels. These studies demonstrated that intermittent fasting can reduce blood sugar levels by as much as 6 percent in 12 weeks.
How to Intermittent Fast
As noted above, there are several ways of doing intermittent fasting. Your choice of how you go about intermittent fasting is largely a matter of personal preference since each will provide similar results. Some ways of doing intermittent fasting include:
Daily Intermittent Fasting
This would be the 16/6 fasting described above. You eat for 8 hours during the day, then fast for the remaining 16 hours.
Alternatively, you can fast for the entire day and then eat like a warrior at night. This is why this protocol is sometimes referred to as "warrior fasting." This is based on the idea that humans were once forced by necessity to go without food and our bodies will naturally adjust to this type of fasting protocol.
Weekly Intermittent Fasting
This may be the easiest protocol to remember. You fast for an entire 24-hour period once or twice a week. It is best to monitor your health during these periods to make sure you are not suffering any complications during the fast. It can be a challenge to go an entire 24-hour period without eating.
If you start to feel unsteady or light-headed with this kind of protocol it may not be right for you. We all respond differently to sustained periods without eating. You may also experience the phenomenon known as being "hangry,” the problem of becoming impatient and irritated from hunger. This happens largely because of the reduced levels of blood sugar.
Alternate Day Fasting.
This is exactly what it sounds like. You fast one day and eat the next. Some protocols allow you 500 calories during fasting days to help you make sure you do not give in. Beginners are advised to start with the 500-calorie option during fast days.
This form of intermittent fasting is difficult. You will be going to bed hungry some nights of the week. Alternate-day fasting is not recommended for beginners.
Intermittent Fasting Risks
Intermittent fasting is widely considered to be safe. If you follow the intermittent fasting protocols the way they are prescribed, there are few risks other than feeling hungry and falling into a tendency to overeat in order to compensate.
Since intermittent fasting does deprive the body of necessary nutrients, there can be risks for people with pre-existing conditions.
If you have any of the following conditions, you should consult your doctor before taking on an intermittent fasting protocol.
- Diabetes
- Problems regulating blood sugar
- Low blood pressure
- Any medications you may be on
- You are underweight
- Have a history of eating disorders
- A woman trying to conceive
- A woman with amenorrhea
- Are pregnant and/or breastfeeding
These things are fairly obvious, but you should be aware that any of these conditions can become problematic while fasting.
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Intermittent Fasting FAQS
What Is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is simply a program of eating that involves periods of fasting and periods in which you can eat. You are to alternate these periods in a measured program that involves times of eating healthy foods and times when you completely abstain from eating anything at all.
How Does Intermittent Fasting Work?
The way intermittent fasting works depends on the type of protocol you choose. In any case, all intermittent fasting programs work by following a schedule of complete fasting followed by a period of replenishment. The two goals of intermittent fasting are to balance eating restrictions with a healthy diet. All intermittent fasting protocols involve an overall calorie deficit.
What are the benefits of intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting can help you lose weight. It is good for heart health. It can increase brain function. Intermittent fasting also helps reduce inflammation and reduces blood sugar levels.
Are there risks for intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting is widely considered to be safe. If you follow the intermittent fasting protocols the way they are prescribed, there are few risks other than feeling hungry and falling into a tendency to overeat in order to compensate. Since intermittent fasting does deprive the body of necessary nutrients, there can be risks for people with pre-existing conditions.
Wrapping things up
Fad diets come and go quickly. Nearly all of them are revealed to be either ineffective or even dangerous. This is why it is so important to get some real facts about fitness and weight loss programs. As appealing as some diets and exercise programs may be, most of them are not worth the effort. Intermittent fasting is different because it is based on science and it has scientific research to back it up.
The idea behind intermittent fasting is that the human body evolved to sustain itself through periods of privation followed by periods of plenty. Early humans simply did not have access to food whenever they wanted it, and this means their bodies adapted to times when they had little to eat. The modern human body retains this evolutionary adaptation.
By tapping into this evolutionary adaptation, we are able to effectively reset our metabolism into a healthier rhythm. Simply by allowing the body to go without food for a measured period of time, then replenishing the body with the right nutrients, we are able to get our bodies back on a more balanced program.
The results of intermittent fasting speak for themselves. People are able to lose weight while intermittent fasting, and they are able to keep the weight off. Common health ailments like heart disease and type 2 diabetes can be prevented by adhering to a program of intermittent fasting. You can even improve brain function with intermittent fasting.
While it may not be for everyone, intermittent fasting works and it keeps you healthy. Simply by tapping into ancient evolutionary mechanisms, we find a more balanced and healthy way to live that improves our health in multiple ways.
