For a lot of people, losing weight is an ongoing battle. This is especially true for moms who have a hard time losing their post-baby weight. As a result, various methods of losing weight are slowly becoming popular these days, including intermittent fasting.
But is intermittent fasting really an effective form of dieting? Or is it just another fad? Let's find out.
What is intermittent fasting?
Dr. Michael Mosley, an award-winning medical journalist, doctor, BBC presenter, and host of "Trust Me, I'm A Doctor" recently went to Manila and shared his experience with fasting.
He shared that he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, but didn't want to take medication since that would mean he needs to take medication for the rest of his life. He then talked to experts in various fields and heard about intermittent fasting from a group of American scientists.
Dr. Mosley shared that the scientists told him that he needed to get rid of the visceral fat, or the fat around his organs. Eager to find out if this form of fasting really worked, he set out to produce a film about it entitled "Eat, Fast, and Live Longer."
After going through the fast, Dr. Mosley shared that he lost 10 kilos of weight, his visceral fat disappeared, and his blood sugar levels went down. "Basically, I had cured myself of Type 2 diabetes without having to do any drugs," he shared.
He added that most doctors say Type 2 diabetes is incurable, but there has been research done in the US and in the UK that shows losing weight can reverse diabetes and normalize a person's blood sugar levels.
How does this type of fasting work?
There are two types of intermittent fasting. First is the alternate day fasting, or ADF, and the other one is called the 5:2 fasting.
Alternate day fasting
Alternate day fasting involves eating normally on one day, and then restricting your diet to 500 calories for women and 600 calories for men the next day. For some people, it's a bit difficult to manage since you tend to get really hungry on the days that you're eating fewer calories.
5:2 fasting
5:2 fasting on the other hand, is much easier to manage, and it's the method that Dr. Mosley used. It's basically eating regularly for five days, and then going through two days straight of eating only 500-600 calories of food.
It's much easier to manage for some people since it won't feel like you're starving yourself when you fast.
Are there any dangers?
While there aren't any known dangers or risks to fasting, it's still important to consult your doctor, and have a check-up first before starting to fast. It's always a good idea to take note of the current state of your body before engaging in any significant lifestyle change.
Fasting has been known to lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and can help you lose weight, along with daily exercise. At the end of the day, it's still important to eat healthy, exercise, and try to get enough rest. It's also good to drink lots of liquids when you fast.
Effects of intermittent fasting
Your body experiences a number of cellular and molecular changes while you fast. For instance, your body modifies hormone levels to increase the availability of stored body fat. Additionally, your cells start crucial repair procedures and modify gene expression.
According to an article published by Healthline entitled "Intermittent Fasting 101 — The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide" there are various ways intermittent fasting affects your body.
Here are some changes that your body may experience as you fast:
- Gene expression. Variations in the function of genes involved in aging and disease prevention are present.
- Insulin. Insulin levels decline significantly as insulin sensitivity increases. Stored body fat is more accessible when insulin levels are lower.
- Human Growth Hormone (HGH). Growth hormone levels soar, rising up to fivefold. For example, this provides advantages for muscular growth and fat removal.
- Cellular repair. When you fast, your cells start the process of repairing themselves. This includes autophagy, in which cells break down and eliminate damaged and outdated proteins that accumulate inside cells.
In conclusion, the advantages of intermittent fasting for health come from changes in hormone levels, cell structure, and gene expression.
Updates by Jobelle Macayan
Additional information from Healthline
READ: Ketogenic Diet: What you need to know about the latest celebrity fitness fad