9 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

 

Intermittent fasting is the latest health and fitness trend. People use it for weight loss, to boost their health, and also to simplify their lives. In a previous article, we talked about coffee and if it breaks your intermittent fast or not. Several nutritional pieces of research have shown that intermittent fasting has benefits for your brain and body. It even prolongs life (1, 2, 3).

This article examines the 9 key health benefits of intermittent fasting based on scientific research.

1. Intermittent Fasting Alters Gene, Cell, and Hormonal Functions

A lot of things happen in the body when a person stays away from food for a while.

For instance, major cellular repair processes are initiated. Your hormonal levels also change to ease access to fat stored in the body.

The following changes take places in your body when you are undergoing a fast:

• The insulin levels in your blood drop significantly. This helps your body to burn fat faster (4).
• There may be a 5-fold increase in the growth hormone levels in your blood (5, 6). High levels of growth hormone facilitate the burning of fat as well as muscle gain (7, 8).
• Fasting also triggers several cellular repair mechanisms, including the flushing of waste from cells (9).
• Changes in gene expression is also an important benefit of intermittent fasting. These changes occur in molecules and genes associated with protection against disease and longevity (10, 11).

2. Intermittent Fasting Burns Belly Fat and Enhances Weight Loss

Many proponents of intermittent fasting do it because they believe that it promotes weight loss (12).

It is important to note that intermittent fasting may help you to take in fewer calories.

Also, intermittent fasting benefits the hormonal function by speeding up weight loss.

High levels of growth hormones, low insulin levels, and high amounts of noradrenaline (norepinephrine) increase the breakdown of fat and boost its energy use.

This explains why short-term fasting boosts metabolic rate by almost 3.6 – 14%, thus enhancing the burning of calories (13, 14).

3. Intermittent Fasting Lowers Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes by Reducing Insulin Resistance

Recently, there has been an increase in the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes.

The primary feature of Type 2 diabetes is high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) due to insulin resistance.

It is important to note that whatever reduces insulin resistance can also help lower blood sugar levels and thus protect against type 2 diabetes.

The good news is that intermittent fasting helps with insulin resistance and facilitates the reduction of blood sugar levels (15).

Studies on intermittent fasting involving human subjects have shown that fasting blood sugar goes down by 3-6% during intermittent fasting. Also, fasting insulin reduces by at least 20% (16).

The implication is that intermittent fasting may be helpful for people who have a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

4. It Reduces Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress is a major contributor to aging and several chronic ailments (17).

It involves free radicals, which are unstable molecules that react with important molecules and cause damage to them (18).

Many studies have shown that intermittent fasting can enhance the body’s resistance to oxidative stress (19, 20).

Also, studies have shown that intermittent fasting has anti-inflammatory effects, and inflammation is a major driver of most diseases (20, 21, 22).

5. It May Improve Heart Health

Heart disease is a major cause of death globally (23).

Studies have shown that several health markers are linked to a high or low risk of heart disease.

Studies have shown that intermittent fasting improves the risk factors for heart disease, such as LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, blood pressure, inflammatory markers, blood triglycerides, and blood sugar levels (15, 24, 25, 26).

But it is worth noting that most of these studies are animal-based. There is a need for more studies on the effect of intermittent fasting on heart health in humans before any recommendations can be made.

6. It Induces Repair Mechanisms in Cells

When you are fasting, your body initiates a process called autophagy. This process involves the removal of cellular waste (10, 28).

Autophagy involves the breakdown of cells, as well as the metabolism of broken and dysfunctional proteins that accumulate inside cells over time.

Autophagy can offer protection against some diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and cancer (29, 30).

7. It Can Help Prevent Cancer

Cancer is a chronic condition. Its major feature is the uncontrollable growth of cells in the body.

Fasting has many benefits on the body’s metabolism. These effects may help to reduce the risk of cancer.

There is certainly a need for human studies, but animal studies conducted so far have shown that intermittent fasting can prevent cancer (31, 32, 33, 34).

There is some proof that fasting can ease the side effects of chemotherapy (35).

8. It May Improve Brain Health

You see, what is good for your body is equally good for your brain.

Research has shown that intermittent fasting boosts those metabolic activities that improve brain health.

Metabolic features in this category include reduced inflammation, oxidative stress, reduced insulin resistance, and a lowered blood sugar level.

Rodent studies have shown that intermittent fasting enhances the growth of nerve cells, which theoretically should be beneficial for brain function (36, 37).

It also boosts the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (36, 38, 39). A deficiency of this hormone contributes to depression and other mental conditions (40).

Results from animal studies show that intermittent fasting has protective effects against stroke-induced brain damage (41).

9. Could Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder and is very common.

Currently, there’s no cure for it, so you should prevent it from showing up.

Studies carried out on rodents have shown that Alzheimer’s disease onset can be delayed by intermittent fasting. It may also make it less severe (42).

Several case reports have shown that lifestyle interventions, including intermittent fasts, can cause significant improvements in the symptoms experienced by most Alzheimer’s patients (43).

Also, animal studies have shown that fasting has protective effects against the development of other neurodegenerative ailments, like Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s disease (44, 45).

More human research, however, needs to be done. There are many health benefits of intermittent fasting. We hope that after reading this article that you might consider giving a shot and getting healthier.

Why Putting Butter In Your Coffee Is Healthy

Read Time: [8-9 minutes] 

Who doesn't love a nice hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning to not only jump-start their day but also their colon? What if you could "upgrade" it and make it into a fat-burning, brain-charging beverage?

Please, continue...

Here's a brief history lesson on coffee first:

Coffee cultivation began around the 15th century in southern Arabia. The Sufi shrines of Yemen are the earliest known place where coffee-drinking was an everyday thing¹.

Coffee from the Sufi shrines of  Mocha, Yemen

Coffee comes from the Arabic word "qua," which literally means "power, energy"².

Believe it or not, green coffee beans are one of the highest traded agricultural products in the world³.

Perhaps, Dr. Oz played a small role in that?

In order to "upgrade" your coffee you will need two things:

1. 100% grass-fed butter.

2. Organic, virgin coconut oil.

Bulletproof Coffee gets all the credit for this idea, but charging $40 for about a month's supply of their coffee⁴ is straight-up highway robbery. They also don't even include the research done on the ingredients listed in their products or even cite anything that correlates with the ridiculous claims they make.

Bulletproof Coffee

They even state that their Brain Octane Oil is "18x Stronger" than Coconut Oil. That's cool and all, but where are the lab tests done to prove this? Nowhere on their website does it state any of these bogus claims used to falsely advertise their products.

After a thorough search on their website, all I could find was an online sign-up to participate in their "research" at Stanford University, where they compare Bulletproof Coffee vs. regular coffee. Keep in mind that you have to first buy all the necessary supplies to participate. Don't you worry, though, the first 100 to sign-up get a free bag of their precious coffee?

I get to be apart of scientific research and get my caffeine fix?! Wow, what a great deal! 

Calm down and wait just a second. If you follow their sign-up link, you'll notice the page is not even dated. Who knows if they already reached their "first 100" participant count or not.

So, basically, what you're saying is it's just a cheap way to gather a bunch of emails? 

You can be the judge of that.

Okay, I get it. Bulletproof isn't foolproof and it's basically a huge marketing scheme. Where's the best place to buy these ingredients then?

I get my grass-fed butter at the local supermarket for $6 (Kerrygold) and my coconut oil in a gallon tub off amazon for $60. This will last for a while and save you tons of money per serving.

Kerrygold grass-fed butter

So, why grass-fed butter? Can't I just spray that butter mist that Fabio endorses on my coffee?

I can't believe it's not butter!

Remember, when cows eat grass instead of grains, they produce CLA. So, not only are you getting the fat-burning capabilities^5,6,7 from the CLA inside the butter, but you're also getting a darn good creamer too.

(Please remember, this is the naturally sourced CLA, NOT the highly processed, synthetically derived safflower oil that is manufactured by supplement companies.)

To be honest, a tablespoon each of grass-fed butter and coconut oil might be the best thing you will ever put in your coffee. Give it a shot tomorrow morn --

Wait a second! My teacher told me coconut oil is full of HORRIBLE saturated fats!!!! 

Calm yourself and listen carefully...

Yes, coconut oil comprises 95% saturated fats, but not all saturated fats are created equal. 

You see, it all depends on their carbon chain length. There are short, medium, and long-chain triglycerides. Each one of these is metabolized differently in the body.

The Fat Pyramid

Short-chains have less than 6 carbon's and are rapidly absorbed by the liver. They are extremely healthy for the body's gastrointestinal tract as they may cut the risk of certain types of colon cancers⁹.

A good source of this type of fat is the omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid or ALA. This fatty acid is found in the dietary fiber in plant foods such as chia seeds and flaxseeds. The fiber from these sources ferment in the large intestine and produce several products, one being butyrate. 

Recent studies have shown butyrate to reduce the chance of colon cancer by nourishing the mucosa in the colon and promoting cell apoptosis^10, also known as programmed cell death. Apoptosis can also occur from consuming CLA¹¹. 

This is a critical bodily process that needs to be properly regulated. Too much, and you have atrophy or wasting away of tissue. Too little, and you have uncontrolled cell proliferation or growth, which can lead to cancer.

Well, that's some great info on short-chain fats! I'm sure the long-chain are even better because they're longer, right?

I'm sorry, my friend, but they are the complete opposite in terms of the word "healthy."

Long-chain triglycerides have 16 or more carbons and are metabolized differently than short-chains.

An example of a long-chain would be America's favorite rapeseed oil, better known as canola oil. The "can" part stands for Canada, and "ola" means oil¹².

Hey, that's what my mom cooks with!

Yes, it is often cooked with since it was deemed a "healthy" alternative to butter years ago as it has unsaturated fats, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids. The process from which canola oil is made literally destroys all the healthy omega-3's and leaves you with a nice big bottle of processed oil with a ton of omega-6 long-chain fatty acids. 

So, what happens if you eat a diet that's full of these omega-6 fatty acids?

When you eat a diet with a greater ratio of omega-6 to omega-3, you can literally shift your body's physiological state in the tissues toward the cause of many chronic diseases we see today. These include prothrombotic, proinflammatory, and proconstrictive¹³. An excess of omega-6's from canola oil and other highly processed vegetable oils can actually interfere with the tremendous health benefits of omega-3's because they compete for the same enzymatic pathways. Believe it or not, the average ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in the Western diet is about 16:1¹⁴.

For your body to metabolize these long-chain fats, it needs bile salts. Once they are digested, they are then absorbed into the lymphatic system and packaged into chylomicrons transporting these fatty acids to yummy adipose tissue for storage. This is where "burning off fat" comes from, but who wants to add fat to their body only to burn it off later? Why not just directly burn it as soon as you consume it?

Medium chains do this and are absorbed directly into the bloodstream. They are then shipped to the liver to be metabolized for energy via Beta-Oxidation. They are not stored in those delicious love handles because they are readily used to make energy.

Coconut oil is full of these Medium-chain Triglycerides or MCTs. Same with avocados, but don't go brewing up a guacamole espresso anytime soon. The taste is no Bueno.

The benefits of consuming MCTs are absolutely endless. From fat loss^15,16 to helping with diabetes¹⁷, MCTs are a must to consume every day in your diet. 

MCT's are naturally found in coconut oil

In one of the fat loss studies^15, a university hospital in Sweden performed a double-blind study where they took 66 obese women with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more and divided them into three separate groups. 

All the groups were placed on an isoenergetic (578.5 kcal) very low-calorie diet (VLCD), combined with either MCTs, LCTs, or low-fat and high-carbohydrate regimen. The diet was monitored over 4 weeks. The participant's body composition was measured with a DEXA scan, and their appetite/satiety was recorded daily. 

As you might have guessed, the MCT group showed a greater decrease in body weight, especially during the first 2 weeks. Hunger feelings were also less intense while satiety (feeling of fullness) was increased.

Wow, so these medium chain fats are the best then?

That's right. Besides the kind help with weight loss, MCTs have been shown in recent research to help treat Alzheimer's^18,19 and help with memory support^20, so make sure to tell gramps that. Don't worry; he will get better and better at remembering to take his coconut oil as time goes on.

Lastly, coconut oil has lauric and caprylic acid. These acids have antiviral and anti-fungal properties. Lauric acid is present in breast milk, but I believe you stopped doing that years ago, I hope.

With over 100 million Americans drinking coffee and 65% of them adding cream and sugar to their cup^21, why not try this healthy alternative and substitute it with coconut oil and grass-fed butter? It'll help promote weight loss, give your brain a memory boost, and an excellent way to get your healthy fats for the day!

I truly wonder what the obesity rates would look like in America if adopted at all Starbucks...