6 Proven Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is a type of eating regimen where you cycle between periods of fasting and eating. You may have read glowing testimonials about its amazing health and weight loss benefits, and want to try it yourself, or are already practicing it.

Intermittent fasting does have many benefits and there are numerous studies to prove it. To follow are some of the powerful proven benefits backed by medical studies:

How Does Intermittent Fasting Help Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is caused by high blood sugar levels and high insulin resistance. Intermittent fasting has been scientifically proven to be very powerful in lowering insulin resistance and in turn, blood sugar levels.

Studies have shown that intermittent fasting reduces blood sugar levels by 3-6%, while insulin levels went down by 20-31%. These figures suggest that intermittent fasting may be very effective in preventing type 2 diabetes, especially in people who are at risk.

However, there’s a catch. Studies have also shown that these benefits apply mainly to men and that in some cases, intermittent fasting raised insulin levels in women.

The bottom line is that intermittent fasting lowers insulin resistance primarily in males and can protect against type 2 diabetes.

Intermittent Fasting Weight Loss Diet Plan

The majority of intermittent fasters do it to lose weight in a flexible and easy way that doesn’t involve calorie-counting or food restrictions – and it works!

Studies tell us that intermittent fasting can help you lose 3 – 8% of body weight over a period of 3 – 24 weeks. This weight loss including 4 -7% of waist circumference, meaning belly fat,

Intermittent fasting promotes hormone growth and lowers insulin levels, both of which increase the breakdown of fat to sustain body energy. Intermittently fasting for short terms does not slow down metabolism as one would think, but actually increases it by about 14% .

Another study showed that intermittent fasting caused less muscle loss than traditional calorie-counting diets, which is another bonus.

The bottom line is that with intermittent fasting, you will consume fewer calories because you have fewer meals, as well as boosting your metabolism to promote weight loss.

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Intermittent Fasting For Brain Health

Reduced inflammation, insulin resistance and oxidative stress in the body all benefit brain health as well. Research conducted on rats has found that intermittent fasting actually promotes the growth of new brain cells, improving overall brain function and cognitive ability.

It specifically promotes the growth of a brain hormone called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), where a deficiency has been linked to depression and other mental issues.

Intermittent Fasting Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress is caused by molecules called free radicals, which react with and affect other important molecules in the body in a harmful way. Oxidative stress is the cause of many diseases as well as early aging.

Several studies have concluded that intermittent fasting can reduce oxidative stress, and helps heal oxidative damage. In addition, it helps fight inflammation, another key cause of disease,

Intermittent Fasting and Cardiovascular Health

Intermittent fasting has been shown to lower blood pressure, one of the key risk factors of heart disease. It also reduces blood trigger markers and insulin levels, which promote heart health.

It should be noted that these findings are based on studies conducted on animals, Researches have yet to study these effects on humans.

Intermittent Fasting Cellular Repair

People who fast intermittently will typically have glowing skin and healthy hair. This is because fasting our body to go into a waste removal mode called autophagy. This is where the cells metabolize and get rid of protein waste that builds up in them, cleansing and detoxifying your system.

Benefits To Intermittent Fasting

The benefits of intermittent fasting diet are not imaginary, nor are they based on rave reviews and testimonials. These benefits have been conclusively proven by numerous studies, and research is still ongoing to discover even more benefits.

The proven health benefits discussed here definitely weigh the scales in favor of intermittent fasting. If you are already doing or considering it, you can expect to see an improvement in your health on all these levels

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