Intermittent Fasting and Adding More days to Life

Abstract

Intermittent fasting (IF) is currently one of the world’s most popular health and fitness trends. Several IF patterns have been studied. Not all were shown to be equally effective. Also, each person’s experience of intermittent fasting is individual, and different styles will suit different people. The potential health benefit list of IF is long: accelerated weight loss, reduced inflammation, lower cholesterol, longer lifespan, blood sugar stabilization, and prevention of type 2 diabetes. Emerging research suggests IF may also lead to a healthier brain, longer life, and even aid cancer treatment. Placing time restrictions on feeding has been shown to have broad systemic effects and trigger similar biological pathways as caloric restriction. One key mechanism responsible for many of these beneficial effects appears to be “flipping” of the metabolic switch. The metabolic switch typically occurs in the third phase of fasting when glycogen stores in hepatocytes are depleted and accelerated adipose tissue lipolysis produces increased fatty acids and glycerol. Just changing the timing of meals, by eating earlier in the day and extending the overnight fast, significantly benefited metabolism even in people who didn’t lose a single pound.