Health
Useless Calories Leading To Short and Poor Life, Is Fasting The Answer
Everyone has heard stories about problems related to obesity. The increased chances of stroke or heart attack are nothing new. Usually, when we try to imagine a perfectly healthy elderly person, the first thing that comes to mind is a body with practically no layer of fat. But is fat really the problem, or is the truth hidden in deeper layers? Let’s find out.
The well-known movement of periodic fasting is gaining superior attention. The whole idea of the body cleansing itself from waste to sustain sufficient energy levels and proper bodily functions sounds quite appealing. Detoxification sounds practically legendary, and at first glance, it seems that even science supports this idea.
There have been studies on different animals, from fruit flies to primates, showing that restricted calorie intake and periodic fasting can lead to a significant discovery: lifespan can be extended by 20 to 40%. This is an amazingly large number, but why? Is detoxification responsible for everything?
Aging and the development of different diseases are extremely complicated processes. Especially when talking about human trials, it’s very hard to say how it can benefit anyone individually, and yet, hope is high. We also face problems researching this in humans because being hungry for a long time is terribly hard. Yet we have a trump card related to our question of longevity.
There is a correlation between physical activity and longevity. Activities like jogging, attending the gym, etc., are extremely beneficial to us. But why, and what do they have to do with lowered calorie intake?
As we burn calories through physical activity, there is less possibility to waste those free calories on the worst thing the human body can do: unnecessary inflammation. The human body is a regular battlefield between ourselves and different microorganisms, and small fractures or tears. When we have a little extra of calories in our body, they can be wasted on inflammation. I believe anyone who has experienced a long enough period of starvation has noticed that their body temperature seems to drop, and yes, there is less inflammation and no extensive burning of free fuel.
Unfortunately, longer inflammation means the development of age-related diseases such as atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s, and many other nasty things we do not want to experience. By far, inflammation is not the only reason for these terrible diseases, yet it has a great impact on their development.
How to Reduce Inflammation/Aging/Disease Development:
- Eat less calorie-dense foods — Vegetables, fruits, whole foods, etc.
- Increase portions of natural antioxidants in your meal — Fruits, berries, leafy greens, etc.
- Be physically active — Burn excess calories or they will lead to inflammation.
- Try periodic fasting — To give your body time to cool down.
I believe the building block of a great society is health. As our happiness increases, we are able to make more responsible and mindful decisions. So be careful and take great care of your health, because it is of great value to you, your loved ones, and all of humanity in general.
If you are interested, you can always check more scientific evidence on this subject.
- Colman, R.J., Anderson, R.M., Johnson, S.C., et al. (2009). Caloric restriction delays disease onset and mortality in rhesus monkeys. Science, 325(5937), 201–204.
- Anson, R.M., Guo, Z., de Cabo, R., et al. (2003). Intermittent fasting dissociates beneficial effects of dietary restriction on glucose metabolism and neuronal resistance to injury from calorie intake. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 100(10), 6216–6220.
- Madeo, F., Zimmermann, A., Maiuri, M.C., Kroemer, G. (2015). Essential role for autophagy in life span extension. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 125(1), 85–93.
- Fontana, L., Partridge, L., Longo, V.D. (2010). Extending healthy life span — from yeast to humans. Science, 328(5976), 321–326.
With Love and Care,
Darian
