### How Intermittent Fasting Boosts both Physical and Cognitive Health
Intermittent fasting (IF) is a prevalent health and fitness trend. It involves sporadic periods of eating and fasting that, rather than dictating which foods you should eat, dictate when you should eat them.
In essence, IF is not a diet in the conventional sense but more aptly described as an eating pattern. Common intermittent fasting methods involve daily 16-hour fasts or fasting for 24 hours, twice per week.
## The Impact on Your Cells and Hormones
When you don’t eat for a while, several things occur in your body. For instance, your body adjusts hormone levels to make stored body fat more accessible. Your cells also initiate essential repair processes and alter the expression of genes.
Here are some changes that occur in your body during fasting:
– **Insulin levels**: Blood levels of insulin drop significantly, which facilitates fat burning.
– **Human growth hormone**: The blood levels of growth hormone may multiply. This hormone can aid fat loss and muscle gain.
– **Cellular repair**: The body initiates cellular repair processes, such as removing waste material from cells.
– **Gene expression**: There are beneficial modifications in several genes and molecules linked to longevity and protection against disease.
## Intermittent Fasting and Weight Loss
Most people trying intermittent fasting do so to lose weight. Generally, intermittent fasting will make you eat less meals.
Unless if you compensate by eating much more during the other meals, you will end up taking in fewer calories. Additionally, intermittent fasting enhances hormone function to expedite weight loss.
Higher growth hormone levels, lower insulin, and an increase in norepinephrine all increase the breakdown of body fat and facilitate its use for energy. Because of this, short-term fasting may increase your metabolism by 3.6-14%.
By aiding you to eat less and burn more calories, intermittent fasting induces weight loss by altering both sides of the calorie equation.
## Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Many studies have been conducted on intermittent fasting, in both animals and humans. These studies have demonstrated that intermittent fasting has powerful benefits for weight control and the health of your body and brain. It may even help you live longer.
– **Weight loss**: As mentioned above, intermittent fasting can assist you in losing weight and belly fat, without having to consciously restrict calories.
– **Insulin resistance**: Intermittent fasting can reduce insulin resistance, lowering blood sugar by 3–6% and fasting insulin levels by 20–31%. This protects against type 2 diabetes.
– **Inflammation**: Some studies show reductions in markers of inflammation, a key driver of many chronic diseases.
– **Heart health**: Intermittent fasting may reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol, blood triglycerides, inflammatory markers, blood sugar, and insulin resistance — all risk factors for heart disease.
## Conclusion
Intermittent fasting can seem daunting to newcomers, but it’s an excellent tool for maintaining both physical and cognitive health. As always, consult with a healthcare professional before introducing new dietary practices. With its positive effects on weight loss, insulin resistance, inflammation and heart health, intermittent fasting might be just what you need to boost your health journey.
