Who knew that fasting, simply choosing when NOT to eat, could help you live a healthier, more productive life?
Although fasting has only gained momentum in recent memory, this “fad” has been around for centuries.
It wasn’t until its rise in popularity that researchers have brought it to the spotlight of health and nutrition research. Science is finding increasing evidence of fasting benefits.
So what does modern research have to say about fasting?
What is Fasting?
There are many types of fasting, but they all share one thing in common: calorie restriction.
Intermittent fasting (IF) limits calorie intake by restricting the timing of food consumption. Other fasts exist, and each has its merits. However, our primary focus is IF.
With the 16/8 intermittent fasting method, fasters must go 16 hours without food and may resume eating in the last 8 hours.
Accomplishing a 16-hour fast is simple. Since our bodies naturally fast overnight when we’re sleeping, we already have a head-start. We can simply extend this fast by skipping breakfast.
Should I Skip Breakfast
Some studies lead us to believe skipping breakfast causes obesity and health problems. But is this truly the case, or are researchers missing something?
Studies show there may indeed be a link between breakfast eaters and being healthy. But all this tells us is that healthier individuals are more likely to have breakfast. They don’t conclude that skipping breakfast causes obesity.
So how exactly did breakfast earn its claim to fame? Is the adage, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” merely a myth?
Origins of Today’s American Breakfast
When we envision the modern breakfast, cereal is one of the top contenders for a spot on our dining tables. But little do we know about the scandalous origins behind this breakfast food.
Dr. John Kellogg invented breakfast cereal as a health food.[1] Unlike today’s variations, it was sugar-free and was supposed to replace meats as the first meal of the day.
The new product took off and skyrocketed to popularity. Its health benefits included preventing indigestion from heavy meat consumption early in the day.
The vegetarian doctor also made claims that cereal would prevent masturbation and the desire for sex. These “carnal sins,” he claimed, resulted from the temptation of meats and heavy spices.
Note that most people at the time viewed doctors as quacks. But who can blame them?
Dr. Kellogg did redeem himself by pushing for “pure” and sugar-free cereal. However, his business partner and other cereal brands didn’t see eye to eye with him. These products were ultimately loaded with sugar to attract more consumers, even while marketed as health foods.
The cereal industry was infamous for using sneaky marketing tactics. Packaging targeted children with pictures of cartoon characters. They told adults cereal could cure illnesses from appendicitis to malaria. As a result, most of the cereal products have evolved into the unhealthy deviations we see on our grocery shelves today.
Unfortunately, consumers ate up these claims just as they did the products. Other companies selling breakfast foods like pancakes, waffles, bacon, and sausages copied these tactics. As a result, the breakfast industry boomed, and it was “common knowledge” that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”
But how do the claims of consuming breakfast pushed by the food industry stand up to the studies on fasting? Let’s find out.
1. Lower Blood Sugar
Many breakfast foods are high in refined carbs and sugar by design. These compounds are highly addictive because our bodies crave energy. But the last thing it needs is a sugar rush early in the day, which can lead to a crash and productivity loss.
High blood sugar causes a rapid release of insulin, a hormone that forces excess sugar into cells. The result? Sugar levels plummet and lead to a crash. Consequences lead to increased hunger, snacking, and excess calorie intake. Consider fasting if your breakfast is usually high in sugar.
2. Decreased Risk of Diabetes
Diabetes risk goes hand in hand with high blood sugar levels. Maintaining diets that lead to high blood sugar desensitizes the body to insulin. This eventually progresses to type 2 diabetes mellitus.
But IF gives us greater sugar control by increasing insulin sensitivity. Additionally, intermittent fasting doesn’t just prevent type 2 diabetes. Fasting may even reverse the course of the disease.[2]
3. Decreased Calorie Intake
Whether fasting increases hunger, and as a result, daily calorie intake, is a heated debate in the scientific community. Although skipping breakfast may result in increased appetite, individuals don’t appear to compensate by consuming more throughout the day.[3]
On the contrary, fasting may decrease calorie intake by as much as 400 over 24 hours.[4] Simply increasing fasting hours by eating dinner earlier led to decreased daily calorie intake.[5]
4. Weight Loss
Our bodies store energy in fat tissue to use when food is scarce. But with plentiful food available today, we continually build up our fat supply and never burn it off. This results in weight gain and obesity.
By fasting for 16 hours a day, your body starts to metabolize fat after sugar levels drop. In addition to shedding fat, fat oxidation also suppresses appetite.[6]
5. Possible Decreased Risk of Cancer
Fasting may improve cancer outcomes and reduce tumor rates, but only with lower calorie intake.[7] It also enhances potency of chemotherapy drugs and survival rates.[8]
However, cancer is not a single disease; there are many types of cancers. There are conflicting results about whether fasting alone achieves a lower risk of cancer. Some cancer patients improved on fasts with a higher protein intake[9], while others from less.[10]
Take precautions when implementing new lifestyle changes until more research is available. Although more data is needed, one thing is certain. Fasting can reduce weight gain and obesity rates, the risk factors for cancer.
6. Increases Focus
Increased sugar intake can reduce cognitive performance and increase sleepiness. Being exceptionally full promotes the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for “rest and digest” bodily functions. It’s no wonder that you get sleepy after a large meal.
But the brain-boosting effects of fasting don’t just begin where sugar ends. Fasting improves short-term cognitive function, long-term memory, learning, and may even decrease mental impairment of Alzheimer’s disease.[11]
7. Slowed Aging
Intermittent fasting may also slow down the aging process. Restricting calories allowed animals to live far longer than their counterparts on a regular eating schedule. In some studies, lifespan increased by nearly 50%.[12]
Fasting isn’t the only method to help you live longer. Learn the science behind slowing down the aging process and immortality.
8. Increased Stress Resistance
Fasting and energy restriction temporarily increases stress on the body. However, these small stressors don’t damage the body in the long-term. On the contrary, minor stress may instead stimulate anti-stress responses in the body.
As a result, the stress from fasting builds resilience to overall stress. This paradox protects cells, which may also lower disease risk.[13]
9. Decreased Inflammation
Damage from inflammation can lead to long-term health consequences. Inflammation is present in autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, which disfigure joints, and multiple sclerosis, which cause paralysis.
Intermittent fasting reduces inflammatory markers and immune cell counts, which contribute to inflammation.[14] However, immune cell counts remained within healthy ranges. Fasting may alleviate multiple sclerosis symptoms and could also reverse disease progression.[15]
10. Improved General Health
Research has been very supportive of the health claims tied to fasting. But fasting seems to have a protective effect in general. One survey of breakfast-skippers found that fasting could lower the risk for all diseases.[16]
Final Thoughts
Fasting can be a powerful tool in improving overall health and has a low barrier to entry. While studies funded by the food industry try to get you to eat breakfast, they may not always be accurate. It’s crucial to take into account other studies that highlight the benefits of fasting.
Fasting is a relatively low effort activity. Once the body enters energy-release mode, the initial hunger will subside.
For anyone who wants to try fasting, the 16-8 intermittent fasting method is the easiest. Simply skip breakfast to extend the fasting period after waking up, when your body is already fasting.
Not only will this help keep hunger at bay, but it can improve your weight loss potential and fat metabolism.
But fasting may not be for everyone. Pregnant women, children, elderly, and those with certain medical conditions like diabetes may not be suited for fasting or need additional monitoring. Always consult your doctor before making lifestyle changes.
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