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Things are not as simple as they seem, I suspect. Not for a person without medical training and perhaps not entirely for those who do. This sounds very promising to me, however:
Our data lead us to speculate that sporadic fasting might represent a simple, safe and inexpensive means to promote this potentially-therapeutic neuronal response.
In recent years, autophagy has been recognized as a crucial defense mechanism against malignancy, infection and neurodegenerative diseases.
autophagy may play a role in the development of Alzheimer disease; indeed, enhancement of autophagy has been proposed as one possible treatment for this coming plague
Herein we provide evidence to support the notion that the desired physiological goal may be attained by a simple, safe and inexpensive alternative approach: short-term food restriction.
it has been suggested that intermittent fasting might improve neuronal function by means that are entirely independent of caloric intake, and may instead reflect an intrinsic neuronal response that is triggered by fasting
Last edited by KaraZetterberg153; 11-19-2018 at 08:00 PM..
I do as well. That's why I posted it in response to your other thread two weeks ago. Of course, it's in mice and you can't apply that methodology to human studies as it's rather fatal to the test subjects. It's interesting, but the more interesting corollary is do you get the same results in humans as is seen in mice in 24-48 hours, and if you do, how long does a human need to fast for to see them.
Food restriction is a simple, reliable, inexpensive and harmless alternative to drug ingestion and, therefore, we propose that short-term food restriction may represent an attractive alternative to the prophylaxis and treatment of diseases in which candidate drugs are currently being sought. However, caution is counseled, because studies in rat brain have suggested that chronic starvation might inhibit autophagy,28 Hanahisa Y, Yamaguchi M. Characterization of calcium accumulation in the brain of rats administered orally calcium: the significance of energy-dependent mechanism. Mol Cell Biochem 1996; 158:1 - 7
[PubMed], [Web of Science ®], [Google Scholar]
an outcome that could damage, rather than protect, neurons.
Not sure how to define "chronic starvation" in the context of what I'm doing. Looking back at my posts, I started IF in late August, three months ago and switched to OMAD about two weeks after I started. During that time I've only had an extra luncheon meal maybe three times, but have kept the 22 hour fast aside from that.
While I haven't lost a lot of weight, I am shrinking and I'm lighter on my feet.
I think "chronic starvation" would be long term calorie restriction/no food, not short term or weekend fasting. If an animal starves, they go through stages of metabolic shut down but regain health when they eat (finding a starving kitten for instance). I would assume a normal person that is healthy would not be putting themselves in a starvation phase like an anorexic for example. If you feel BETTER, like you imply, then you are doing something right. Our bodies tell us. If you start to feel light headed or not so well, then you could move away from the IF for awhile. I would be interested in IF if I could do it. I have health minded friends that do and feel great. I just don't want to fast to do a diet. I like food too much and am not needing to lose weight. The health benefits are intriguing though.
I think "chronic starvation" would be long term calorie restriction/no food, not short term or weekend fasting. If an animal starves, they go through stages of metabolic shut down but regain health when they eat (finding a starving kitten for instance). I would assume a normal person that is healthy would not be putting themselves in a starvation phase like an anorexic for example. If you feel BETTER, like you imply, then you are doing something right. Our bodies tell us. If you start to feel light headed or not so well, then you could move away from the IF for awhile. I would be interested in IF if I could do it. I have health minded friends that do and feel great. I just don't want to fast to do a diet. I like food too much and am not needing to lose weight. The health benefits are intriguing though.
Maybe skip dinner once or twice a week so there is a fasting window from, say, 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. the following morning. That would be an 18 hour fasting window, and you should just be sure to eat well enough to maintain your current weight at the other meals. If I understand all of this correctly, that would give you the health benefits. You'd get a rest from the work of digestion. I'm going to do that at some point.
A lot of people are not hungry in the morning and skip breakfast, maybe just do black coffee and mineral water--but no calories--and then do a lunch only, if OMAD. Or, if you're happy with your weight, do lunch and then dinner with your family. This looks like the most common way of doing IF, but contradicts the idea of breakfast being the "most important meal of the day." Yet a lot of folks are fine with skipping it, and this way doesn't conflict with your business or social life as OMAD with the meal at breakfast, might do.
I like to feed my animals in the morning, and then myself, and then not bother with food until the next day. But that will have to change at some point.
Last edited by KaraZetterberg153; 11-20-2018 at 12:48 PM..
I'm losing and feeling lighter. It's starting to become pretty noticeable.
My wife sees what's going on and is thinking about trying it herself.
The changes I can see are flatter stomach, thinner ankles, and where it was fat before, here and there, it's soft and dimply.
Somebody on here claimed that IF caused skin to hang and that is exactly contrary to what is reported by doctors and patients. Of course it's not instantaneous but autophagy eats up that extraneous skin, by all reports. Dr. Fung says he has never needed to refer a patient to a surgeon to remove skin, even after massive weight loss.
We can use deductive reasoning to figure out what should happen to us as we make adjustments in our lifestyle if we make some basic assumptions-- that we have descended from the first humans, who lived in hot, arid grasslands in East Africa where animal protein/fat was preferred, edible vegetable food sources were less readily available, where hunting was difficult enough to prevent daily meals, and that only genes affecting our health before we end our reproductive years were subject to selection. ...in fact, genes that prevented longevity past age 35 or so may have had benefit to aboriginals because they eliminated the "excess baggage" the elderly represented to the community--- balanced by the advantage wisdom & experience the elderly may lend to the younger.
In regards short term fasting-- that was probably how our ancestors regularly lived-- they gorged themselves on fresh meat after a kill and then went maybe a few days before the next hunting success. If there were any leftovers after the feast day, they were surely discarded before they attracted unwanted, large canine or feline guests.
In hot equatorial Africa, it was certainly a disadvantage to easily store calories as insulating fat-- so a carnivorous diet was selected that minimized fat production/storage. When hunting was particularly bad and they were forced to include more veggies (ie, carbs),then the trade off was more difficult body temp regulation vs stored energy to get thru the prolonged fasting period.
I always laugh at the concept that "breakfast is the most important meal." How smart was it for a caveman to keep food around the cave overnight for a quick AM meal? Those that did probably wound up as part of a bear's midnight snack. We evolved to eat only after a good day's hunt.
Maybe skip dinner once or twice a week so there is a fasting window from, say, 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. the following morning. That would be an 18 hour fasting window, and you should just be sure to eat well enough to maintain your current weight at the other meals. If I understand all of this correctly, that would give you the health benefits. You'd get a rest from the work of digestion. I'm going to do that at some point.
What appears to be more common is skipping breakfast. So you could have dinner with your family and then fast until noon the next day, giving you a 16 hour fasting window. You could just have coffee (and mineral water?) in the morning but no calories. A lot of people do this, anyway.
That is a good idea. I would like to try it sometime. I exercise in the (early) morning/take supps so breakfast is necessary - it would have to be dinner. I am alllllwaaaays hungry but once or twice a week would not kill me. I eat as soon as I get home and cook for my spouse and sit with him as he eats later. Fasting would not break our schedule. Great idea. Thanks!
That is a good idea. I would like to try it sometime. I exercise in the (early) morning/take supps so breakfast is necessary - it would have to be dinner. I am alllllwaaaays hungry but once or twice a week would not kill me. I eat as soon as I get home and cook for my spouse and sit with him as he eats later. Fasting would not break our schedule. Great idea. Thanks!
You're very welcome! Exercise while fasting seems to be recommended quite a bit, but don't go by me; I need to look at that issue more closely.
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We evolved to eat only after a good day's hunt.
