Nowadays, more and more people are trying to strengthen their immune system through alternating fasting and lose weight in the process. Such a diet can stimulate the regeneration of the stem cells of the damaged, old immune system. The protection from immunosuppression provided by chemotherapy also suggests that this effect may be maintained in humans. One1/0 2 Diet that mimics fasting, also appears to slow down aging by regenerating cells. The process shifts the stem cells from a dormant state to a state of self-renewal, allowing the production of new white blood cells. In this article we try to summarize the most important advantages and disadvantages as well as the effects of such a diet.
Alternating fasting and its health benefits
The positive effects on the body are fundamentally due to the energy reserves in the form of glycogen, which you completely deplete during the diet. The body needs at least 24 hours and probably 48 hours or more to use up these reserves. The good news is that you probably only need to fast once or twice a year to get the benefits described.
The lymphocytes are oneKey component of the immune system. As soon as you start eating again, your stem cells go back into overdrive to replenish the renewed cells. There's also another type of intermittent fasting that's been making headlines lately - the 5 to 2 diet. The name suggests long periods of time without eating, but this diet is still alternating fasting.
So on this diet you fast every other day, but eat whatever you want on the non-fasting days. The most common version of this type of diet is modified fasting, which allows you to eat 500 calories on fasting days. Alternating fasting is therefore a very powerful tool for losing weight and strengthening the immune system. It may also help reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Onenew studyfound that the extreme nutritional strategy of fasting produced positive health results after just four weeks. Research suggests that diet is at least as effective as general calorie restriction and may be easier for individuals to tolerate.
Nutritional strategies for strong immunity
So it turns out that you can reap many of the benefits of fasting without doing a three-day fast, which is really, really difficult for most people to achieve. Instead, you can try a much simpler type of fasting that is limited to cycles and times of day. With a strategy like this, you fast every day by scheduling all of your food intake into a 6- or 8-hour window. However, you can also choose the more difficult option, which is still easier than a 3-day fast. This involves 2 full days of alternating fasting per week. Here are two strategies forintermittent fasting, which have similar health benefits.
The first strategy would be a daily fast for 16 hours as the simplest option. Their benefits can be equivalent to those of the 5:2 diet and 3-day fasting. However, no study has directly compared these 3 regimens. To do this, eat lunch from 12 p.m. and finish dinner at 8 p.m. Then fast until midday the next day, which is about 16 hours of fasting. As mentioned above, the 5 to 2 diet involves 2 different days per week. This means that you can only consume 500-700 calories in the form of food and drink on these days and eat normally on the other 5 days.
The benefits of intermittent fasting are numerous. Additionally, alternating fasting reduces markers of systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, which are associated with atherosclerosis. This diet also helps you lose weight for obvious reasons. Avoiding all snacks in the evening represents the biggest change. This is done through time-limited fasting and not only means a reduction in calorie consumption, but also a reduction in the amount of food in your diet.
Strengthen your immune system through alternating fasting
Additionally, because intermittent fasting reduces inflammation, it can improve symptoms of arthritis and even rheumatoid arthritis. But why does alternating fasting work at all? The main thing is to get your body to switch from glucose metabolism to ketone metabolism. The usual three meals per day provide the body with a constant source of fuel in the form of glucose. Once that glucose is depleted, the body uses fatty acids and ketone bodies, which provide more than just fuel. These also regulate the expression and activity of many proteins and molecules known to affect health and...affect aging.
Ketone metabolism appears to bring a variety of health benefits. The trick is to get your body to switch to it every now and then. If you eat constantly, your body feeds on enough glucose and therefore never switches gears. However, it is still controversial whether a so-called restart of the immune system is possible in this way. Science suggests that a prolonged fast of 2 to 3 days will cause your body to purge some old immune cells and turn on the production of new ones if you can do so. Recently, people are increasingly finding that intermittent fasting is easier, works in the same way and offers them multiple health benefits.
In terms of other health benefits, the study also showed that those who followed the plan for six months had lower LDL cholesterol levels. This type of cholesterol is often referred to as “bad cholesterol” because it can cause buildup in the arteries. Furthermore, lower triglyceride levels can be observed. This is a type of fat that can increase existing risk of heart disease compared to those who eat normally.
Are there any side effects of fasting?
When it comes to weight loss, nutrition experts point out some disadvantages to fasting. There are of course other ways to lose weight by reducing your calorie intake. Even the authors of the study suggest that healthy people should only try alternating fasting in consultation with a doctor. First of all, it should be mentioned that this could deprive your body of important nutrients that it needs every day.
The diet can also lead to a lack of energy. This is easy to understand because your body needs the food for energy. This would be like trying to drive a car without gas. Dehydration can also be a problem. According to experts, people get a good portion of their daily water intake from food. Therefore, avoiding food throughout the day can lead to dehydration. Intermittent fasting can also lead to muscle loss, poor sleep, and overeating overall.
Extreme forms of such fasting can be particularly bad if you are taking medication to treat an ongoing health problem. If you take medications on an empty stomach, they may cause headaches or upset your gastrointestinal tract. Aside from safety, alternating fasting can also affect your overall well-being. This also means your mental and social health. It is important to understand the consequences of such a diet. Not to mention the fact that a strict diet plan can force you to focus on your eating habits in an unhealthy way. This can be particularly dangerous for people with a history of eating disorders.
What to eat on the fasting day?
There is no general rule about what you should eat or drink on fasting days, except that your total calorie intake should not exceed 500 calories. It's best to drink low- or no-calorie beverages for alternating fasting, such as water, coffee, or tea. Most people find it beneficial to eat a large meal late in the day, while others prefer to eat early or divide the amount into 2 to 3 meals. Since your calorie intake is severely limited, it's best to focus on nutritious, protein-rich foods and low-calorie vegetables. This will make you feel full even without lots of calories. Soups can also be a good option on fasting days as they make you feel fuller. You can also find numerous recipes for quick 500 calorie meals and healthy low calorie snacks online. However, here are some combinations that are suitable for fasting days:
- eggs and vegetables
- Yogurt with berries
- Grilled or lean meat with vegetables
- Soup and a piece of fruit
- Generous salads with lean meats
Alternating fasting and autophagy
One of the most common effects ofFasting is the stimulation of autophagy. This is a process in which old parts of cells are broken down and recycled.According to research, this plays a key role in preventing diseases such as cancer, neurodegeneration, heart disease and infections. Animal studies have consistently shown that long- and short-term fasting increases autophagy and is associated with delayed aging and reduced tumor risk. This has further shown that fasting increases the lifespan of rodents, flies and worms. In addition, this leads to effects that can help you stay healthy and live longer. This has been confirmed by human studies showing that diets reduce oxidative damage and promote changes that may be associated with longevity. The results look very promising, but the effects on autophagy and longevity need to be studied in more detail.
Aside from the health risks, alternating fasting is far too intense, making it even less sustainable. Therefore, it may be more difficult to stick to long-term weight loss, which should focus on simple adjustments. You will also have to live with these for a long time, even after you have achieved your goals. If you still want to try it, it is best to do so under medical guidance. Nevertheless, this type of diet has several advantages over traditional onescalorie-reduced diets. As mentioned above, medicine associates fasting with significant improvements in health by boosting cell regeneration and immunity. The best part is that it's surprisingly easy to stick to since you only need to diet every other day.
