In recent years, the buzz around fasting, and especially intermittent fasting, has grown louder. Although weight loss is the main draw for many, there is another benefit of fasting that has sparked much interest. Researchers have found that when your body is fasting, it undergoes a cellular cleansing process called autophagy, which they have linked to disease prevention and longevity.
What does autophagy consist of?
Autophagy is an opportunity for your cells to take out the trash. It is a natural process of cell repair and cleaning . Autophagy restarts your body and allows you to function more effectively.
Think of your cells like an oven. Over time and as you age, cells collect damaged proteins, fragmented fragments of white blood cells or enzymes, and other metabolites that no longer function well or efficiently, just as your oven collects fat and grime from your meals. If this “waste” is not eliminated, your cells don’t work as well or as efficiently.
Autophagy is like the self-cleaning function of cells. It comes off this garbage, these inflammatory wastes, that it should come off, but it’s kept close. The cells then recycle that material for fuel and building blocks for new cell parts, according to a January 2012 article in Experimental & Molecular Medicine.
What are the benefits of autophagy?
According to the article in Experimental and Molecular Medicine mentioned above, autophagy is necessary for our cells to survive. It provides nutrients and materials for cell growth and development, and breaks down proteins and other damaged materials that could lead to disease and other negative effects of aging.
However, research on the health benefits of autophagy is still in its early stages. Most of the studies have been done on cells like yeast and animals, and it’s unclear whether the findings translate directly into humans.
Furthermore, there is no precise way to measure autophagy in humans, according to an August 2017 review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. And, according to the authors of a January 2015 study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI), it’s not always clear if the results are directly related to autophagy or something else.
Still, researchers have identified some promising potential benefits of autophagy:
Greater longevity
By removing accumulated and damaged cellular material, autophagy can lead to decreased age-related diseases and increased longevity. According to the JCI study, autophagy contributed to a longer lifespan in cells, animals, and humans.
Lower risk of cancer
A May 2018 review published in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy found that autophagy can suppress cancer. In fact, when the genes that regulate autophagy are altered, there are higher rates of cancer.
That’s because autophagy rules out diseased cells that could become cancerous. However, the authors note that there are also times when autophagy protects cancer cells and helps them grow.
Another article, published in November 2018 in Clinics, found that fasting-induced autophagy can make cancer treatment more effective.
Enhanced immune response
In addition to getting rid of unwanted cellular material, autophagy can also kill bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens that can cause infections, according to a June 2015 study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. It also helps keep the body’s inflammatory response under control.
Lower risk of neurodegenerative disease
The authors of the previous 2015 study also found that autophagy plays a role in protecting against neurodegenerative disease by removing proteins associated with conditions like Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Better regulation of blood sugar
According to the authors of the Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy review, research in mice shows that autophagy decreases obesity and insulin resistance by eliminating oxidative stress and damaged mitochondria.
A March 2013 study of women published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that intermittent fasting led to increased insulin sensitivity. Higher insulin levels are known to be associated with metabolic conditions such as diabetes, vascular disease, and higher levels of inflammation.
Why does fasting cause autophagy?
Autophagy is a way the body responds and adapts to stress. According to a November 2018 study published in Aging Research Reviews, fasting is one of the most powerful ways to stimulate autophagy in the body.
In a fed state, cells don’t have to be efficient, so they don’t clean as much. When the system is strained in a good way, as with fasting, the cell suddenly feels that it doesn’t have a ton of nutrients and that it shouldn’t waste what it does.
But autophagy needs an on-off cycle. Too much or too little cell cleaning can cause problems.
However, for the average human, it is normal that we do not give our bodies the opportunity to fast because we eat frequently, which can overload our systems. As a result, you avoid opportunities to take advantage of this beneficial process.
In particular, intermittent fasting , when it restricts what you eat at certain times of the day or specific days of the week, is a way of allowing your body to cycle regularly during periods of feeding and fasting . This triggers a hormonal response in the body that drives the cell’s stress response, immune defense, and mitochondrial function (the cell’s energy source) in addition to your self-cleaning cycle, according to a December 2019 article published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
The trick is that your body needs to change the metabolic shift from burning glucose (also known as sugar) as fuel to using fatty acids and ketone bodies for energy, according to the authors of the NEJM article. This can take between 10 and 14 hours of fasting.
Should you try intermittent fasting to induce autophagy?
There are many benefits to intermittent fasting in addition to autophagy. And it is quite simple to follow. It is advisable to fast between 16 and 18 hours a day to reap the benefits. However, fasting for more than 24 hours can begin to overload the body.
Skip breakfast. Lunch and dinner, and you can have a social life. Furthermore, intermittent fasting also works well with any nutritional ideology, be it paleo, ketogenic, or a gluten-free diet.
But you don’t have to be strict about your fasting schedule, especially if you’re trying intermittent fasting for reasons of longevity and disease prevention. You’re in this for the long haul, so don’t stress yourself because stress is bad for longevity. Just try to be consistent. Even if you fast twice a week, it will be beneficial compared to not doing it at all.
However, if you have diabetes or other blood sugar problems, are pregnant or breastfeeding , are underweight, or have a chronic disorder such as vascular, kidney, or liver disease, it may be best to avoid fasting. Always consult a specialist.
