8 Reasons Why Intermittent Fasting Is Good For Your Health
Ever heard of the wonderful benefits of Intermittent Fasting? If not, read this article and find it out yourself!
By Newsmeter Network Published on 25 Jan 2021 5:23 AM GMT
The term "fasting" needs so special introduction to most of us. We all prefer to go on a fast for religious purposes on special days. But "intermittent fasting" is a relatively new concept that is gaining popularity these days. Unlike the conventional fasting in which you refrain from food, intermittent fasting involves a cycle of eating and fasting that is considered to be good for health.
The basic idea behind Intermittent Fasting is to split the day or sometimes a week into eating and fasting periods. This can be done in several ways like the 16/8 method (16 hours fast and 8 hours eating window), Eat-Stop-Eat (24 Hours Fast) and 5:2 diet (fasting on 2 days and eating well on the other 5 days).
You can choose a method that best works for your body and daily schedule.
Intermittent fasting is not another fad diet that prescribes you what to eat and what not to. It only lets you decide your eating window on a day or the week. For example, in the 16/8 method, you can choose to eat in a 8 hour window and go on a fast in the remaining 16 hours. Similarly, you can choose to fast for 2 days a week, during when you limit your calorie intake and eat normally the remaining 5 days.
Listed below are some of the best advantages of intermittent fasting:
Studies show that intermittent fasting is an easy and effective way to lose weight compared to stringent diet plans. Eating a lesser amount of food per day can decrease the overall calorie intake and promote weight loss. The results are better when you restrict the eating window to the early hours of the day when the body is in an active state. Apart from helping you lose weight, intermittent fasting can also reduce the overall waist circumference by burning belly fat.
Intermittent fasting can keep your sugar levels in check! During the fasting window, the insulin levels in the body go down, which can result in the release of sugars from the fat cells. These sugars are consumed by the body to generate energy instead of going into the bloodstream and causing diabetics. Apart from controlling the overall blood sugar levels, Intermittent fasting also reduces insulin resistance and improve insulin sensitivity that allows the body to utilize blood glucose in a better way.
The basic idea behind Intermittent Fasting is to split the day or sometimes a week into eating and fasting periods. This can be done in several ways like the 16/8 method (16 hours fast and 8 hours eating window), Eat-Stop-Eat (24 Hours Fast) and 5:2 diet (fasting on 2 days and eating well on the other 5 days).
You can choose a method that best works for your body and daily schedule.
Science Behind Intermittent Fasting:
Intermittent fasting is not another fad diet that prescribes you what to eat and what not to. It only lets you decide your eating window on a day or the week. For example, in the 16/8 method, you can choose to eat in a 8 hour window and go on a fast in the remaining 16 hours. Similarly, you can choose to fast for 2 days a week, during when you limit your calorie intake and eat normally the remaining 5 days.
The concept behind creating these eating patterns is to restrict the number of calories you consume. Restricted eating not only helps you lose weight but also promotes a healthy body and mind.
In this article, we shall delve a little more into this subject by discussing the top 10 benefits of Intermittent Fasting.8 Best Benefits of Intermittent Fasting:
Listed below are some of the best advantages of intermittent fasting:
1. Helps You Lose Weight:
Studies show that intermittent fasting is an easy and effective way to lose weight compared to stringent diet plans. Eating a lesser amount of food per day can decrease the overall calorie intake and promote weight loss. The results are better when you restrict the eating window to the early hours of the day when the body is in an active state. Apart from helping you lose weight, intermittent fasting can also reduce the overall waist circumference by burning belly fat.
2. Reduces Insulin Resistance:
Intermittent fasting can keep your sugar levels in check! During the fasting window, the insulin levels in the body go down, which can result in the release of sugars from the fat cells. These sugars are consumed by the body to generate energy instead of going into the bloodstream and causing diabetics. Apart from controlling the overall blood sugar levels, Intermittent fasting also reduces insulin resistance and improve insulin sensitivity that allows the body to utilize blood glucose in a better way.
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3. Protects Heart Health:
Research suggests that intermittent fasting can offer numerous benefits to your heart. The restricted -eating pattern results in a reduction of bad cholesterol and blood sugar levels in the body. A particular study also shows that intermittent fasting may lower blood lipid levels, blood pressure readings and overall body weight, which are key factors that play a role in minimizing the risk of heart diseases.
4. May Prevent Cancers:
Intermittent fasting may also prove beneficial in slowing down the rate of Cancers and, in some cases, prevent it altogether. Studies show that the major risk factors of cancer are obesity and increased inflammatory markers in the body, which can be significantly reduced through intermittent fasting. Scientists also opine that short-term starvation can also slow down the progression of cancer cells by making them sensitive to radiation therapy.
5. Improves Brain Function:
An interesting study conducted on mice suggests that intermittent fasting enabled better brain function and structure compared to those with unrestricted access to food. This shows that short-term fasting has positive effects on neurological health. By suppressing the inflammation in brain cells, intermittent fasting can improve cognitive skills and memory, along with reducing the risk of brain disorders like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's etc.
6. Can Increase Lifespan:
A recent study shows that intermittent fasting may improve longevity and quality of life. Experts suggest that fasting pushes the body into a state called "adaptive stress", in which the body starts producing more number of antioxidants to neutralize the damage caused by free radicals. This response can have many positive effects on the body including prevention of co-morbid diseases like diabetes, hypertension, strengthening immunity and also slowing the aging process.
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7. Improves Gut Health:
One of the major benefits of intermittent fasting is its role in detoxifying the system. Fasting decreases the pressure on your digestive system and enables it to focus more on processing the left over food in the body. As a result, all the organs like the stomach, liver and kidneys function better with a lowered risk of inflammation due to overworking. Also, short-term fast helps in better absorption of nutrients and faster elimination of toxins. This can help you achieve a clear, flowing skin.
8. Enables Better Sleep:
Many studies show that intermittent fasting may help you enjoy better quality sleep. By restricting your food intake to a specific time of the day, fasting enables the normal functioning of the circadian clock (which makes the body differentiate between day and night). When you keep your eating window to the first half of the day and opt for fasting during the second half, your body produces better sleep hormones to make you sleep quickly.
Side Effects of Intermittent Fasting:
Is Intermittent fasting completely safe and free from side effects? We say, No! Depending on the duration of fasting and how your body responds to it, you may experience the following symptoms during the initial days:
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> Headaches
> Lethargy
> Mood Swings
> Fatigue
> Drowsiness
> Lack of Concentration
> Constipation
> Acidity
> Food Cravings
> Low blood sugar
> Sudden increase in hair fall (due to lack of proper nutrition)
> Distorted menstrual cycle
> Sleeplessness
After learning about the benefits of intermittent fasting, you may want to try it out and experience them yourself. However, we strongly recommend you to speak to a doctor and take their help in deciding the ideal Intermittent fasting plan for you based on your health and age to prevent unwanted side effects!
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