Is Intermittent Fasting the Key to Longevity & Optimum Wellbeing?
I feel as if I've been intermittent fasting since I was 14 years old without even realising. I regularly skip breakfast and even lunch when I’m working or when I was at school. Especially now that I've been busy around the clock writing articles from home, I've been able to analyse my productivity patterns and how they related to my eating habits. I found that on days I was eating breakfast, I was significantly less productive until late afternoon, if at all. Had I skipped breakfast that morning and worked well, by the time lunch came and I ate, I would again find my productivity drop again in the afternoon, like clockwork. As I started to research more into intermittent fasting a few months ago, I realised I was inadvertently following an intermittent fasting protocol for much of my teen and adult life.
I discussed this with my friends and family and found that no one felt the same way. The usual scenario was that if breakfast or lunch was missed, their productivity and energy levels dropped. I wasn't sure how to explain to people that I wasn't just "not eating", but it's what felt right for my body, and in particular my energy and focus. As I started to discuss fasting with health practitioners and doctors that were practising it themselves, I found a resounding response that echoed what I had personally felt. This was that intermittent fasting helped on a plethora of levels within the mental and physical. These conversations made me more interested in doing this protocol properly - I knew I felt okay from following it but knew there must be some guidelines involved.
This research then led me to the information in today’s article. As we’re entering spring where we’re focusing on cleansing and detoxing our bodies, now is the correct time to adopt an intermittent fasting protocol.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a protocol or pattern of when we eat, rather than what we eat. Unlike most diets, intermittent fasting doesn't require us to track our calories or macronutrients, which makes it more of a lifestyle than a diet.
Intermittent fasting stems back centuries from various health modalities and practices within many religions, but we’re seeing it being popularised in the wellness world again now. In ancient civilisations, there were times where the hunter gatherers weren't able to access food as easily as we can in today's world. This caused humans to evolve with the ability to function without food for extended periods. Fasting is a practice in many religions such as Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism.
The four main types of intermittent fasting vary in their duration, and the calorie intake when practised. These are alternate-day fasting, whole-day fasting, modified fasting regimes, and time-restricted eating.
Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
There are a variety of benefits that intermittent fasting can bring. However, it's important to note that although I have linked studies to each benefit, every person is different, and it might not be as beneficial to all.
Weight Loss
One of the primary reasons why people begin an intermittent fasting protocol is to lose weight. When practised correctly, several studies suggest that intermittent fasting is as effective as traditional calorie-restricted diets for short-term weight loss. In another review, intermitted fasting reduced body weight by 3-8% in overweight adults over a period of 3-24 weeks. Another benefit linked to intermittent fasting is that it can boost the levels of human growth hormone, which can help us maintain muscle gain and assist with fat loss. My Bowen therapist sent me a video that features Dr Jason Fung talking about intermittent fasting, and his research into how it can help weight loss. Definitely an interesting interview to watch for those interested.
Diabetes
Intermittent fasting has also shown to be effective in helping to manage and reduce the risk of developing diabetes. It does this by lowering insulin levels in the body and reducing insulin resistance. In a study of more than 100 overweight women over the timeframe of 6 months, the results found that the protocol reduced insulin levels by 29% and insulin resistance levels by 19%.
Heart Health and Inflammation
Heart disease risk factors include high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol and high triglyceride concentrations in the body. A study on 16 obese men showed that intermittent fasting lowered blood pressure by 6%, lowered LDL cholesterol by 25%, and triglycerides by 32%. Studies have also shown that intermittent fasting can also reduce key markers of inflammation in the body.
Mental Health
Intermittent fasting has shown in many studies to benefit psychological wellbeing, ranging from stress to depression. In one study it showed that intermittent fasting decreased depression and binge eating disorders and improved body image in obese adults.
Increased Longevity
I’ve been a big fan of Valter Longo’s work for a while now, and one of his areas of speciality is human longevity, which we’ll discuss more in detail below. Intermittent fasting has shown promising results in increasing longevity. A study showed that intermittent fasting protocols extended the lifespan in rats and mice by 33-83%. It can also assist with cellular repair which happens when the body goes into a fasting state. This process then makes the cells in the body initiate cellular repair processes, such as digesting and removing old proteins stored inside cells. Intermittent fasting can also assist with gene expression which is when the functions of genes are changed and can assist in promoting longevity and protection against disease.
Should Everyone be Intermittent Fasting?
Short answer: No.
Lifestyle factors, genetics and general human biology, are different for every person, so everyone will respond differently to approaching an intermittent fasting protocol. I've spoken with countless friends who have researched and tried intermittent fasting and have had negative results, while others loved it. A big part of this is the gender divide. Intermittent fasting is generally more suited for men. Women have a more complex bodily rhythm, and for some, it can actually be detrimental to them. One example of this was in a study that showed that blood sugar control worsened in women after three weeks of intermittent fasting. This, however, was not the same case for the men. It is important to note that research into intermittent fasting has a huge gender bias. Most studies currently found online are based on the male population.
That being said, there are plenty of women who find great benefit from intermittent fasting. I watched another video forwarded to me by my Bowen therapist, and there is plenty of information about how intermittent fasting can improve health in women. However, it is sometimes a trickier slope and should be watched closely by a trained professional. A general rule is that women who are trying to become pregnant should not intermittent fast as it can significantly impact a woman's menstrual cycle, leading to missed periods and infertility.
Popular Types of Intermittent Fasting
There are hundreds of ways to approach intermittent fasting. Here are some of the most popular protocols.
The Fast Mimicking Diet (FMD)
FMD was pioneered by Valter Longo, a biogerontologist and cell biologist and author of the The Longevity Diet. The ProLon FMD diet is a 5-day dietary program that mimics a fasting state. You can purchase and find more information about the ProLon Diet on Welluvia here, or on ProLon’s website available here.
5:2 Diet
One of the most popular intermittent fasting protocols, this diet calls for limiting calories (500 for men, 600 for women) two consecutive days per week. The other five days of the week the participant eats normally.
Alternate-Day Fasting
This type of intermittent fast requires a fasting schedule every second day. During the fasting days, no more than 500 calories can be consumed, while on the other days participants can eat as they please.
The Warrior Diet
The Warrior Diet focuses on when you eat. Participants fast for 20 hours per day and have a 4-hour window in the evening where they can consume a large meal. Calorie restriction isn't included in this diet.
16:8 Diet
The 16:8 diet is similar to the Warrior Diet, which focuses on when you can eat. The participant has a complete fast of 16 hours per day and given a window of 8 hours, where they can consume non-calorie restricted meals.
Eat-Stop-Eat Diet
This method involves doing a 24-hour fast once or twice a week.
The Crescendo Method
This method is particularly suitable for women who are interested in intermittent fasting. This method involves fasting for 12-16 hours for 2-3 days per week. These days should not be consecutive and should instead be spread out across the week.
There we have it - a very brief introduction into the world of intermittent fasting. I hope today's article has given a bit of background information into it and some of the benefits that can come to those practising it.
As mentioned above, it is essential to remember that intermittent fasting is definitely NOT for everyone, and should be followed correctly and under the supervision of a professional. There are many other ways to detox with our diets, and we'll be looking at some of those over the next few weeks as apart of Detox Month on Welluvia.
Happy fasting!
Aleksandar
