Chances are, you’ve run across health bloggers or magazine articles discussing the benefits of fasting. Fasting means abstaining from certain foods, solid food, or all food, for a set period of time.
But is fasting good for you? Does it deliver the benefits that health pundits promise?
As Old as Time
From the time we were hunters and gatherers, periods of food scarcity have been common in human history, requiring us to go for extended periods of time with little or no food. Barring any preexisting health condition, our body has adapted to be able to go for several days, or even weeks, without food.
To some degree, we all experience fasting. When we go to sleep, our body is undergoing a short fast – which is why the first meal of the day is called “breakfast.”
Abstaining from food is a traditional natural therapy used over the centuries to treat disease and improve health.
Different Types of Fasting
Before we dive into the benefits of fasting or review the research, it’s important to know that there are many different types of fasting:
- Periodic Fasting – abstaining from all food and beverages other than plenty of pure water.
- Liquid or Juice fast – abstaining from solid foods, but drinking juice, water, broth, and/or herbal teas. (Those who participate in liquid or juice fasting, are still receiving an inflow of some nutrients and calories.)
- Intermittent Fasting – Instead of eating meals, snacks, and caloric beverages all day long, you confine eating to a window of time to extend the period between meals. With intermittent fasting, you might limit your eating from between 10am and 5pm each day, or limit yourself to two or even one meal per day, or eat every other day.
Evidence-Based Benefits of Fasting
Fasting may not be the miracle cure that its fans claim it is, but there is a growing body of research showing specific benefits of some forms of fasting:
- Decreased inflammation: Intermittent fasting reduces key biomarkers of inflammation. Since inflammation is often a key factor in chronic disease, this means fasting could have a positive impact on a wide range of health conditions.
- Increased longevity: Both human and animal studies show that occasional fasting has the potential to extend lifespan, especially through its beneficial effect on the intestinal microbiome. One study shows that fasting results in gut flora consistent with the gut bacteria profile of those who live longer.
- Blood sugar control through reducing insulin resistance: A 2023 study showed intermittent fasting can reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity.
- Increases the release of beneficial human growth hormone: Studies show that fasting can increase the secretion of HGH, which is important for a healthy metabolism, weight loss, and building muscle strength.
- Other Possible Benefits: More research is needed, but some studies show that fasting could help prevent degenerative brain conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. It’s theorized that fasting might help prevent cancer as it stimulates the elimination of dead or diseased cells, through a process called “autophagy.”
Fasting and Skin Health
Some find that fasting reduces their symptoms of chronic skin conditions such as eczema, TSW, or psoriasis. Why? One reason may be that skin symptoms, especially those related to the immune system, are often exacerbated by certain foods and allergen triggers. Removing these triggers, or better yet identifying them through fasting followed by an elimination diet, can help.
Since fasting can reduce inflammation and may help rev up the body’s internal systems for detoxification, this may also be why some experience a reduction in their skin symptoms.
However, fasting can also exacerbate skin symptoms, especially those with acne. This is especially true if you become dehydrated. Fasting can also change your hormone balance in a way that affects oil production. Fasting can also create stress, which is a trigger for flare-ups for many people.
That’s why the rule is, just like for any other treatment or product, if you want to try fasting, start slow and stop immediately if you find that your body or your skin cannot tolerate it.
Cautions About Fasting
Fasting is not recommended for those with diabetes or hypoglycemia. It is also not recommended for children, adolescents, people who are pregnant or nursing, older adults, underweight adults, or for those going through cancer treatment.
If you have any underlying conditions, please talk to your health professional before you try fasting. If you do experiment with any type of fasting, be sure to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, and eat whole, nutrient-rich foods during the times when you aren’t fasting, to be sure your body is getting everything it needs.
Fasting “cleanses” that are accompanied by consuming diuretic and/or laxative herbs or teas, or fasting styles that ask you to abstain from water, can pose the risk of extreme dehydration and may even be dangerous for your health.
Conclusion
We’re always excited when more research comes in about traditional natural therapies like fasting. If you’re curious about fasting and its potential health benefits, and have no underlying health condition that would contraindicate it, a good first step might be researching intermittent fasting or juice fasting as a way to try it.
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About the Author
Olivia Hsu Friedman, LAc, Dipl.OM, DACM, Cert. TCMDerm, is the owner of Amethyst Holistic Skin Solutions and treats Acne, Eczema, Psoriasis, and TSW. Olivia treats patients via video conferencing using only herbal medicine. Olivia is Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Society of Acupuncturists, serves on the Advisory Board of LearnSkin, and is a faculty member of the Chicago Integrative Eczema Group sponsored by the National Eczema Association.