Is Intermittent Fasting a Fad? What you need to know about Fasting.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Let me take you back to the Paleolithic era. Our ancestors were gather-hunters. Food wasn’t accessible 24/7. They had to run, sprint, jump, climb, and hunt before they could gain access to dinner. And of course, there were no fridges, so they would have to wake up (and skip breakfast) to go hunt (exercise) to earn their feast. Oh, and there was no electricity, Netflix or board games! That meant that bedtime was set at sundown. That also meant no binge-watching Tiger King and munching.

Our ancestors lived long and healthy lives. Look again at my aforementioned narrative. By definition, and since a very long time ago, humans practiced what the modern world calls “intermittent fasting” (IF). They would go long periods without food. They skipped meals and ate small portions. Do you see how different the image I just painted is compared to our modern days’ eating habits? We are told to eat “more frequently” and never skip breakfast in order to boost our metabolism and lose more weight. But is that true? Let’s deep dive into the practice of IF.

How do our bodies respond to starving?

By definition, fasting is going a period of time without eating. When we are not fasting, we consume on average three meals a day plus snacks. With every bite, your insulin level (the hormone that promotes glucose absorption) spikes, and whenever that happens you may find yourself in search of more food and so forth. I suppose this is not the first time you heard of that vicious cycle that makes people pack on more pounds. During fasting, your body starts consuming glycogen (your glucose storage in the liver and skeletal muscles). This is considered your immediate source of energy.

After a period of fasting, your body then switches to using fats as a source of energy. This process is known as “metabolic switching” or” ketogenesis”. Ketogenesis is not a new fad nor a scientific hoax. It is a well-studied and scientifically validated process that has numerous health benefits. That being said, there are still a lot of questions in regards to the IF process optimization and benefits that are out of this article’s scope. But let’s talk about the IF different types and the health benefits that are well-known (and definitely not a fad!).

What are the most popular fasting practices?

The most famous fasting methodologies are: the 5:2 (fast two days a week); alternate days; and 16/8 or timed restricted fasting (TRF), where calorie consumption is restricted to 8-hours a day. Finally, there is periodic fasting (PF) which is done periodically such as Ramadan fast (RF), where fasting takes place from dusk to dawn for a month.

Is fasting the same as exercising?

As a scientist and fitness enthusiast, I was intrigued by how much exercise and fasting have in common. As it turned out, the body responds to fasting the same way it responds to endurance training on both the genetic and functional levels. On the genetic level, the same genes that are turned on during fasting are those triggered by endurance training. Physiologically, it appears like the body overcomes a temporary challenge (fasting and/or exercise) before it goes back to baseline or “homeostasis”. And as a result of repeated exposure to “challenges”, our bodies become more stress-resistant. By contrast, excessive food consumption leads to metabolic diseases. Also, the easy-access to food – on top of other modern life factors- have led to today’s sedentary life-style.

Historically, metabolic diseases were scarce to almost non-existent. Do you know what else was scarce in the environment? Food! This is how our precedents survived extreme conditions and evolved. As a result of food scarcity and long periods of fasting, they adapted to perform at high physical and cognitive levels.

So what are the health-related benefits of fasting?

1. Weight-loss: Indeed, fasting can be perceived as a life-style adjustment . But it is not a fad. IF can help kick-start your weight-loss plan. But be aware, that fasting for a long period of time such as for months may actually provoke weight gain.

2. Decrease resting heart rate & blood pressure: This corresponds to increased stress resistance.

3. Inflammation and free radical reduction: Free radicals are “bad” particles that are the product of our metabolism. Normally, your body has a buffer system that counteracts their effects unless they are overwhelmingly produced at a higher rate than the body can clear (which causes diseases). They are the reason for most ailments ranging from acute inflammation to cancer formation.

4. Improve glucose regulation: Remember that whole sugar-insulin cycle I mentioned early on? Science has it, IF can decrease insulin and leptin levels. This in turn controls your level of hunger.

5. Improve body composition by decreasing body fat: In my last article (5 Reasons to Exercise and None of Them is to Lose Weight), I highlighted that regular exercise has a direct correlation to improved body composition. Well, so does fasting! I can’t emphasize enough the importance of body composition. You will feel and look good!

6. Anti-aging effects: In both humans and animals, TRF demonstrated anti-aging effects. These effects are attributed to stem cell stimulation and free radical production. Additionally, periods of 24-hour fasting were found to promote wound healing in diabetic subjects.

Does long-term Fasting have benefits?
Here are some of the highlights of potential benefits of long-term fasting indicated by preclinical and clinical studies in animals.
–> Increased insulin sensitivity and reduced abdominal fats ~ lower risk of type II diabetes
–> Increased heart rate variability (HRV) and reduced blood pressure ~ lower cardiovascular events
–> Improved lipid metabolism
–> Health gut microbiota

Final note: This article is backed up by scientific evidence, however, it doesn’t constitute medical advice. Please do consult with your physician whether fasting is something that can help you reach your weight and health goals. Also, bear in mind that certain physiological conditions such as diabetes, pregnancy, and breastfeeding are discouraged from fasting, because fasting can have negative implications on those conditions. If you are cleared to try out fasting, I want you to be patient with yourself. It certainly takes time to see results based off dieting and fasting. Some people need more time in comparison to others. What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another because our genetic make-ups, environmental conditions, activity levels, hydration levels, [and the list of variables is endless] are different.

I hope you enjoyed this article and found it of considerable value! Feel free to share away and/or comment with your questions.

References:

1. de Cabo, R., & Mattson, M. P. (2019). Effects of intermittent fasting on health, aging, and disease. New England Journal of Medicine, 381(26), 2541-2551. [Pubmed]
2. Jamshed, H., Beyl, R. A., Della Manna, D. L., Yang, E. S., Ravussin, E., & Peterson, C. M. (2019). Early time-restricted feeding improves 24-hour glucose levels and affects markers of the circadian clock, aging, and autophagy in humans. Nutrients, 11(6), 1234. [Pubmed]
3. Luo, M. J., Rao, S. S., Tan, Y. J., Yin, H., Hu, X. K., Zhang, Y. & Xie, H. (2020). Fasting before or after wound injury accelerates wound healing through the activation of pro-angiogenic SMOC1 and SCG2. Theranostics, 10(8), 3779.[Pubmed]
4. Mattson, M. P., Longo, V. D., & Harvie, M. (2017). Impact of intermittent fasting on health and disease processes. Ageing research reviews, 39, 46-58. [Pubmed]
5. Nakamura, M. T., Yudell, B. E., & Loor, J. J. (2014). Regulation of energy metabolism by long-chain fatty acids. Progress in lipid research, 53, 124-144. [Pubmed]
6. John Hopkins Medicine. Intermittent Fasting: What is it, and how does it work? Accessed May 18, 2021
7. Healthline. 6 ways to do intermittent fasting. Accessed May 18, 2021

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