Fad Diet or Fasting? The Reality of Intermittent Fasting

by | Jul 13, 2022

In order to define intermittent fasting, we must understand the roots and origins of such a practice. Intermittent fasting (IF) is a name for a group of calorie restriction diets where the dieter alternates between periods of fasting (no food consumption) and nonfasting. Intermittent fasting is based on different time periods, rather than normal diets which are based on meal plans, food lists, recipes, calorie counting, or similar features of most weight-loss diets [1]. Intermittent fasting originated with laboratory experiments on vast animals such as mainly mice, and other animals in the 1940s, where researchers discovered that intermittent fasting appeared to extend the life span of the animal [2-3]. Ever since then, people began to use it to lose weight, improve their health and simplify their lifestyles. 
A study, made by Mattson published in the New England Journal of Medicine, revealed data about a range of different health benefits associated with the practice. In this article, he mentioned that intermittent fasting can protect organs against chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, age-related neurodegenerative disorders, and inflammatory bowel diseases [4]. A vast majority of animal studies and scores of human clinical trials have shown that intermittent fasting has, in some cases, led to improvement in health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancers, and neurological disorders [5]. Intermittent is especially significant in improving blood pressure and resting heart rates as well as other heart-related issues and measurements. 
Studies have also shown that there are specific changes that occur in your body during [regular] fasting, including intermittent fasting, such as blood levels of insulin dropping significantly, which facilitates fat burning [6]. Additionally, there is evidence that fasting has a direct impact on cellular repair, in which the body induces important cellular repair processes, such as removing waste material from the cells [7]. Lastly, different forms of fasting have shown beneficial changes in several genes and molecules related to longevity and protection against different kinds of diseases [8]. Whenever you fast, your insulin levels drop and human growth hormone (HGH) begins to increase. Your cells also begin to initiate important cellular repair processes and change which gene they express [9].
Though, before joining any sort of healthy diet or fasting method, make sure to check in with a doctor(s) to see if it is healthy for you – and make sure to research all cons and pros of a certain diet/fasting method.



This article is an accumulation of studies that support such a sentiment and none of the research was done without the references cited below.  
References: 


  1. Intermittent Fasting, Definition, Origins, Demographics, Description, https://reference.jrank.org/diets/Intermittent_Fasting.html. Accessed 26 May 2022.
  2. Heffernan, Conor. “Guest Post: The History of Intermittent Fasting.” Physical Culture Study, 21 April 2020, https://physicalculturestudy.com/2020/04/21/guest-post-the-history-of-intermittent-fasting/. Accessed 26 May 2022.
  3. “Fasting: The History, Pathophysiology and Complications – PMC.” NCBI, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1274154/. Accessed 26 May 2022.
  4. “Impact of intermittent fasting on health and disease processes.” PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27810402/. Accessed 26 May 2022.
  5. “Research on intermittent fasting shows health benefits.” National Institute on Aging, 27 February 2020, https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/research-intermittent-fasting-shows-health-benefits. Accessed 26 May 2022.
  6. “Changes in hunger and fullness in relation to gut peptides before and after 8 weeks of alternate day fasting.” PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27062219/. Accessed 26 May 2022.
  7. “10 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting – Part 1.” Altrua HealthShare, 23 February 2016, https://altruahealthshare.org/articles/health-and-wellness/02/2016/intermittent-fasting-part-1/. Accessed 26 May 2022.
  8. “Fasting: Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Applications – PMC.” NCBI, 16 January 2014, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3946160/. Accessed 26 May 2022.
  9. “Impact of intermittent fasting on health and disease processes.” NCBI, 31 October 2016, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5411330/. Accessed 26 May 2022.