The multiple benefits of intermittent fasting: from fat burning to brain health
In short, intermittent fasting involves choosing two days a week to consume 2100 or 2520 kilojoules of energy.
The amount of food consumed over the other 5 days should not be excessive.
How can we ensure the effectiveness of intermittent fasting? A recent study indicates that the timing of meals is almost entirely related to the type of food consumed.
They are just as important as the class.
In this study, scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Research fed two groups of mice a high-fat diet.
The mice were all fed the same amount of food. The only difference was that one group of mice did not have a time limit for eating and could eat whenever they wanted.
Another group of mice were only provided with food for eight hours, meaning they were forced to stay hungry for sixteen hours a day.
fasting.
One hundred days later, the health of the two groups of mice differed greatly. The mice that had access to high-fat food at all times had significantly higher cholesterol levels.
High blood sugar and liver damage were observed in the mice, who were forced to fast for sixteen hours a day.
The portion sizes and food quality were exactly the same, yet they weren't as fat (28% lower) and experienced less liver damage. They...
The body's chronic inflammation is also relatively mild, indicating a reduced risk of developing certain diseases, including heart disease and cancer.
Symptoms such as stroke and Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers explain this by saying that insulin levels rise when we eat, causing the body to store fat.
The body's fat storage mode. By fasting for a few hours, the body can shut down the fat storage mode and activate the fat-burning mechanism. Therefore, as...
If you eat frequently, your body will continuously produce and store fat, resulting in obesity and liver problems.
A quality lifestyle and weight loss should be achieved through intermittent fasting.
damage.
Therefore, fasting not only has many benefits, but it also helps with weight loss. Studies show that fasting can improve mood.
Protect your brain and prevent memory loss and cognitive decline.
Mark Mattson is the director of the Neuroscience Laboratory at the Institute for Aging, National Institutes of Health.
A highly respected scientist specializing in brain aging. His research shows that fasting helps combat Alzheimer's disease.
Diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, memory loss, and memory decline.
Normally, the brain shrinks with age, but a study has found that the hippocampus is a key organ for memory development.
The hippocampus of a person who walks frequently becomes larger, which is an indispensable area. In MRI images, the hippocampus of a person who walks frequently...
People who sit still all day have brains that are on average two years younger.
Mark's father died of Alzheimer's disease. His father's illness truly gave him a deeper understanding of Alzheimer's.
The problem of cognitive decline in patients with the disease.
People urgently need solutions because Alzheimer's disease and other forms of cognitive decline...
A confirmed diagnosis, even if it may slow the progression of the disease, cannot stop its continued deterioration. The patient's condition may continue to worsen.
A person's condition may require 24/7 care for several years. In the end, even those they deeply loved may not be able to care for them.
They might not even recognize them.
What's the point of fasting?
Mark's mice were also genetically engineered, but they were modified to be more susceptible to Alzheimer's disease.
He said the mice had to navigate a maze to get food. Some mice easily found their way out, while others got lost.
They can't find their way. This type of task is intended to identify mice whose memory is beginning to decline; they quickly forget...
Record the maze passages you have traversed.
If these mice are fed typical junk food, their memory declines at an age even earlier than those on a diet with normal nutrition.
The mice started developing earlier. They fed the mice a high-fat, high-sugar diet, and the results were significant. These mice developed earlier...
This leads to learning and memory impairments, increased amyloid protein deposition, and greater difficulty finding one's way in a maze. In other words...
They say the junk food makes these rats fat and stupid.
These mice with Alzheimer's disease, if given a normal diet, quickly develop memory problems. By the time they reach a certain age...
At this age-equivalent to middle age in humans-they typically exhibit noticeable learning disabilities and memory problems. As for the inter-age period...
Rats subjected to intermittent fasting often show signs of memory decline only after twenty months.
It's only after a few years that true decline begins. Converted to human years, this corresponds to the age at which signs of Alzheimer's disease will appear.
The age limit was extended from fifty to eighty.
In Mark's fasted mice, a significant change in the brain was observed in a neurotrophic factor called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor).
Increased production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) proteins. Studies show...
BDNF can stimulate stem cells to transform into new nerve cells in the hippocampus. As mentioned earlier, the hippocampus is essential for maintaining normal cognitive function.
Key brain regions for learning and memory.
But why does fasting stimulate seahorse growth? Mark points out that from an evolutionary perspective, this is actually quite reasonable.
Reasonable. After all, when food is scarce, people must become clever and resourceful. "In areas with limited food,"
Remembering where food is, where danger is, and where predators are is crucial for animals. They recognize...
Therefore, in the past, people who could enhance their cognitive abilities during times of hunger had an advantage in preserving their lives.
The researchers conducted a study in which volunteers fasted, and then used MRI scans to observe whether their hippocampuses...
The dimensions change over time. These techniques were once used to measure movement habits, such as whether walking can increase...
The size of a seahorse.
According to Mark's research, one major reason why people find intermittent fasting relatively easy to do is...
Quality of life
The impact of BDNF. BDNF appears to not only slow down cognitive decline caused by brain aging, but also improve...
The emotions.
Numerous studies have shown that increased BDNF levels have effects similar to antidepressants, at least in rodents.
This is true for toothed animals. In one study, researchers injected BDNF directly into the brains of mice and found that the effect was similar to...
Similar to taking typical antidepressants on time. Another study reported that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was used to treat major depressive disorder.
The reason it is effective for patients with the disease is partly because electric shock can increase the concentration of BDNF.
Mark believes that fasting for two days a week for several weeks will cause BDNF levels to rise, thus suppressing anxiety.
It can improve mood. Currently, he lacks sufficient human experimental data to fully support this claim, but he is working with volunteers.
The researchers collaborated to collect cerebrospinal fluid at regular intervals to measure changes in the body during intermittent fasting. To participate in this experiment...
Regular lumbar punctures are necessary, but Mark points out that many volunteers have already shown early signs of cognitive decline.
Therefore, the motivation to participate in the experiment is very clear.
Mark actively researched the benefits of intermittent fasting and promoted it vigorously, because obesity is so prevalent now, which made him...
He is very worried. He also believes that if people are considering trying intermittent fasting, the sooner the better:
Alzheimer
Patients with this condition experience cognitive decline due to brain aging, but the molecules in their brain's nerve cells are actually very...
The changes began long ago, probably decades before patients developed learning and memory problems. Therefore, adjusting the diet...
It's crucial to start developing healthy eating habits early, from youth or middle age, to slow down these brain degeneration processes and keep the brain healthy.
It can still function normally at the age of ninety.
Intermittent fasting is not only beneficial to the brain, but it can also improve other physical conditions, such as heart health, blood health, and cancer prevention.
Both risks and health effects can be measured.