Fasting: Benefits and How Often You Need to do It

In today’s health-conscious society, fasting is no longer a fad or a free health fix. It is not a choice, but a necessity. Since time immemorial, ancient Greeks and Romans have practised fasting. Many religions believe that fasting brings you closer to God. Whether it is for religious reasons or for health benefits, fasting has gained popularity over the last couple of years. Terms like intermittent fasting (IF), time-restricted eating (TRE), and fasting-mimicking diets (FMD) are the trending buzzwords.

Restricting the amount of food you eat is said to fight disease, boost brain function and improve well-being. Is it true? Let’s find out.

India’s top dietician and nutritionist, Avni Kaul, shares the benefits of fasting and how often you need it.

BENEFITS OF FASTING

Improves metabolism: Studies reveal that short-term fasting boosts metabolism by up to 14%. Fasting for 12 or 13 hours a day is said to improve metabolism and sleep quality. Intermittent fasting involves rotating between periods of eating and fasting thus giving the digestive system a break. This helps in burning calories more effectively. Fasting enables the body’s enzyme system to focus on detoxifying and breaking down toxins in the body quickly and thus efficiently improving metabolism. However, it must be kept in mind that fasting for longer periods may affect the metabolism.

Helps to lose weight: Weight management is vital for a healthy lifestyle. Research suggests that obese people who lose just 5% of their weight have better control of insulin in the liver, fat, and muscle tissues. Fasting helps in losing weight faster than regular dieting by burning the fat cells more effectively. In fact, fasting may lead to greater reductions in body fat and belly fat compared to continuous calorie restriction.

Promotes blood sugar control: Fasting for a few days in a week helps to control blood glucose levels by reducing insulin resistance thus helping to manage diabetes. Both intermittent and alternate-day fasting helps to decrease blood sugar levels and reduce insulin resistance but may affect males and females differently.

Reduces inflammation: Scientists believe that fasting is a natural way of reducing inflammation in the body and may help in treating inflammatory conditions like multiple sclerosis. According to studies, fasting for 24 hours at least once a week for 26 weeks helps decreases inflammation to a significant degree. And fasting beyond 24 hours lowers inflammation by reducing oxidative stress in cells. 

Delay aging: Believe it or not, fasting triggers multiple changes in our bodies that delay aging by keeping cells and DNA healthy.

Improves brain function: Fasting is said to boost brain function by stimulating nerve growth which improves focus, learning, and memory.

Conclusion –The pandemic has made us realize that health is true wealth. After all, ‘The best of all medicines is resting and fasting.’ However, fasting should always be done after consulting your doctor or a dietician.