The concept
In fact, it is something we do naturally: fasting – that is, not eating anything – for a long period of time, which until now we have always limited to the time slot between dinner and breakfast the next day. But in the case of intermittent fasting, it is proposed to extend the range of hours of non-ingestion and increase it, for example, to 16:8, one of the most efficient methods. That is, going 16 hours without eating (drinking water, coffee or tea is allowed) and then eight hours eating again.
Generally speaking, intermittent fasting allows you to eat practically whatever you want during the set times, but it makes sense to opt for healthy foods: intermittent fasting should not be used as an excuse to binge on processed foods later, because then nothing would make sense.
Benefits
1. Changes the function of hormones, cells and genes
When you don't eat for a period of time, several things happen in your body...
These are some of the changes that occur in your body during fasting:
Insulin levels: Insulin levels in the blood drop significantly, making it easier to burn fat.
Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Levels : Blood levels of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) can increase dramatically, making it easier to burn fat and increase muscle.
Cellular repair : The body induces important cellular repair processes, such as removing waste from cells.
Gene expression : There are beneficial changes in several genes and molecules related to longevity and protection against disease.
2. It can help you lose weight and visceral fat
Many people who try intermittent fasting do so to lose weight. In general, intermittent fasting will cause you to eat less, but you should not eat more at the remaining meals.
Lower insulin levels, higher HGH levels, and higher amounts of norepinephrine (noradrenaline) increase the breakdown of body fat and make it easier to use for energy.
According to a 2014 review of the scientific literature, intermittent fasting can cause 3 percent to 8 percent weight loss in 3 to 24 weeks.
Study participants also lost between 4% and 7% of their waist circumference in 6 and 24 weeks, indicating that they lost a lot of visceral fat, which is the harmful fat in the abdominal cavity that causes disease.
More studies are needed on the effect of fasting on muscle loss. All in all, intermittent fasting has the potential to be a tool for weight loss.
3. It can reduce insulin resistance: decreasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
Anything that reduces insulin resistance should help lower blood sugar levels and protect against type 2 diabetes, and intermittent fasting has been shown to have the greatest benefits for insulin resistance and cause an impressive reduction in blood sugar levels.
In human studies of intermittent fasting, fasting blood sugar was reduced by 3% to 6% over the course of 8 to 12 weeks in people with prediabetes.
A study in mice with diabetes also showed that intermittent fasting improved survival rates and protected against diabetic retinopathy (a complication that can cause blindness).
4. It can reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body
Oxidative stress is one of the steps toward aging and many chronic diseases, and it involves unstable molecules called free radicals. Free radicals react with other important molecules, such as protein and DNA, and damage them.
Some studies show that intermittent fasting can help combat inflammation, another key factor in many common diseases.
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