Eat intermittently
Scientists told about the benefits of intermittent fasting
American scientists have published in The New England Journal of Medicine a review of studies on the effects of intermittent fasting on human health (de Cabo and Mattson, Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Health, Aging, and Disease).
The essence of intermittent fasting is a partial restriction of the time of eating. This can be a daily meal, but only for a limited period of time – for example, from 8 to 14 hours, or the allocation of two fasting days a week.
The review was prepared by Mark Mattson, a neuroscientist from Johns Hopkins University, and Rafael de Cabo from the US National Institute of Aging as part of the Internal Research Program of the National Institutes of Health.
Mark Mattson has been studying intermittent fasting for 25 years and has been following this diet for 20 years, which, in his opinion, improves cognitive functions and protects against neurological diseases, increases insulin sensitivity, preventing the development of type II diabetes, lowers blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular diseases, improves the immune system systems and prolongs life in general.
Many animal and human studies have shown that alternating between periods of food intake and fasting supports cellular health. Scientists believe that such a diet is natural, since our ancestors periodically had a shortage of food, and the internal processes in the body, called metabolic switching, are tuned to this mode.
During periods of sugar–based calorie deficiency, cells begin to consume internal fats - to process them into energy as a result of a slower metabolic process. The normal operation of the "metabolic switch" improves blood sugar regulation, increases resistance to stress and suppresses inflammation.
In four animal and human studies, intermittent fasting has also been found to lower blood pressure, blood lipid levels, and resting heart rate. There is increasing evidence that such a diet reduces the risk of developing obesity and diabetes even more than a low-calorie diet.
A number of studies have found that intermittent fasting benefits brain health. People who followed this form of diet for two years showed signs of improvement in memory and cognitive abilities. The adaptive response of cells to food breaks increases their ability to cope with stress and resist diseases.
Animal studies conducted in Mattson's laboratory have shown that intermittent fasting leads to the following positive changes in the body: 1) improvement of glucose regulation; 2) loss of abdominal fat while maintaining muscle mass; 3) reduction of blood pressure and heart rate; 4) improvement of memory and motor function; 5) protection of brain neurons from dysfunction and degeneration in animal models of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke and Huntington's disease.
"In the near future, we need to consider the possibility of adding information about intermittent fasting to the curricula of medical schools along with standard advice on healthy eating and exercise," the scientist's words are quoted in a university press release.
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