You probably have heard the term intermittent fasting a lot recently. Right? Intermittent fasting is getting a lot of popularity as it is believed to assist with weight loss. However, that is not the only benefit of such a kind of fasting. In our article, we present you 5 benefits of intermittent fasting. Read along and decide whether you are going to try yourself or not.
What Is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is to stop eating and drinking for a certain number of hours. By doing so, our bodies will tap our stores of fat to gain energy quickly and effectively. When we stop eating and drinking, our bodies discover that glucose (our main direct fuel) is not available, so they start burning fats to get the energy needed.
There is no one specific way in which intermittent fasting is done. You can choose the way that best suits your life routine and health (You probably need to consult a nutritionist about that).
One way of intermittent fasting is to stop drinking and eating for number of hours. Most people choose to fast for 12 hours or more. Another way is to alternate day fasting. In this type of fasting, you eat 5 to 6 days a week and then fast for 1 or 2 days. During your fasting days, you can have water or broth as it is important to keep hydrated.
5 Important Benefits for Intermittent Fasting
1. Reduced Blood Pressure
Researchers have found that intermitted fasting helps reduce blood pressure. However, the blood pressure is reduced only while the person is fasting intermittently. Once you stop fasting and return to your normal diet, blood pressure readings go back to their original levels.
2.Reduced Inflammation
A study found out that during the fasting period for Muslims (usually from sunrise to sunset), inflammatory signs were lower than usual.
3.Lower Cholesterol Levels
According to research, various forms of intermittent fasting could help lower bad cholesterol level and reduce the presence of triglycerides. Yet not all researchers agree that this kind of fasting does actually reduce cholesterol levels. Some researchers found out that those who did intermittent fasting and those who followed a low-calorie diet, both had lower cholesterol levels.
4. Boosted Brain Function
Studies found that this kind of fasting does not improve cognitive functions in healthy people, but it does protect you from some neurological disorders.
5. Reduced Insulin Resistance
Intermittent fasting could help stabilize blood sugar levels in people who suffer from diabetes, according to some studies. The reason for that is that intermittent fasting resets insulin. However, we need to wait for more research to be done. It is true that restricting calories through fasting can improve insulin resistance -marker of type 2 diabetes- but the study done was very limited in number.
Moreover, people who are taking certain type of medications for type 2 diabetes or who are on insulin need to be careful when trying intermittent fasting. This kind of fasting might lead them to have lower blood sugar, which is a life-threatening factor.
Final Thoughts
Those are few of the benefits of intermittent fasting. Talking about benefits does not in any case mean that this kind of fasting proposes no risks at all, especially for people suffering form different health problems. If you really would like to try intermittent fasting, the first step that you should take is to consult with your dietitian or nutritionist. Book an appointment with New Me to find out whether or not this type of fasting can help you achieve your health goals.