Benefits of Intermittent Fasting for Brain and Body

Intermittent fasting is a popular health & fitness trend that is observed by a lot of people globally for ages. While the current era is hardly about healthy eating habits, fasting has become more therapeutic than a regular activity practiced by common people. So to make sure this ancient tradition doesn’t get lost in human obliviousness,  let’s discuss the benefits of Intermittent fasting for the brain & body.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Source: thehealthsite

Intermittent fasting in simple terms is an eating pattern with set cycles between periods of eating and fasting. There are multiple methods available to do intermittent fasting that could stretch from a day or a week. While it doesn’t say anything about what to eat, instead it suggests when to eat.

Technically people do “fast” everyday, while they are sleeping, but with intermittent fasting it goes a little longer. One of the simple methods to intermittent fasting is to skip breakfast, take your lunch at noon and then take last meal at 8 PM. This way you end up doing 16 hours fast effortlessly. This intermittent fasting pattern is called 16/8 method.

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting for Brain & Body

While there are tons of benefits of Intermittent fasting including reducing inflammation, losing weight, reducing insulin resistance to lower blood sugar levels, anti-aging, prevents serious issues such as cancer, heart health, and more. But, brain health is one of the significant benefits of it. Let’s discuss some of these benefits that directly improve your brain and physical health.

1. It Boosts “Miracle Grow” in Your Brain

While fasting has been observed by people for centuries now, the recent scientific research has only proven the benefits of this age old healthy eating pattern. One such benefit is, it speeds up production OF BDNF which is an important protein for brain health. People hail it as “Miracle Grow for your brain”. With increased levels of BDNF, you will find that your brain is more resilient to stress and more adaptable to sudden changes and events.

It is directly related to playing a role in neuronal plasticity, which makes your brain more adaptable to changes. BDNF protein is a useful element that protects your brain cells, produces new brain cells, improves mood, boosts memory, improves learning, stimulates synapses and new connections, and more. You can practice intermittent fasting to boost BDNF by 50-400%.

2. Generates more Brain Cells

Source: verywellmind

An effective intermittent fasting has displayed the signs of increased rate of neurogenesis in the brain. It is an important element of the human body that is directly related to development and growth of nerve tissues and new brain cells. If you practice intermittent fasting very often, then you will find that your brain performance is improved because of higher rates of neurogenesis. It also helps you improve focus, memory, and mood. The recent studies have suggested that it is one of the most effective ways to stimulate the production of new brain cells.

3. Reduces Inflammation

Source: practicalpainmanagement

Inflammation is the primary reason for various chronic diseases in human body. Diseases such as Alzheimers, dementia, diabetes, obesity, and others are directly related to inflammation. Here, intermittent fasting help reduce inflammation significantly to control these mind and body related diseases. Intermittent fasting stimulates autophagy that helps your body cleanse itself. It is useful to reduce inflammation. During fasting ketones are created where fat is broken down to create it. Ketones are helpful to reduce inflammation that may cause issues such as Alzheimer’s and Arthritis.

4. It makes you feel good about your body

When you are fasting your body uses fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. Fat is cleaner and much better source of fuel for your body. Fat being a good source of energy to your body actually produces more energy per gram than carbs. Thus, it ends up producing less free radicals, which may cause inflammation. When the level of free radicals is increased in your body, it may cause oxidative stress which is considered to be the main element behind various chronic diseases including neurodegenerative diseases.

5. It boosts Human Growth Hormone

If you rely on an exogenous source of human growth hormone, then it is time to start fasting as it boosts human growth hormone (HGH) significantly. HGH proves to be an effective solution with longevity and anti-aging benefits. It also helps increase neurogenesis, provide neuroprotection, and improve cognition. The neuroprotective effect is a useful feature that improves your brain performance and preserves your brain health.

Conclusion

Not only these benefits, intermittent fasting also helps you lose weight, supercharge your energy, and make you feel good about yourself. If you know more such benefits of intermittent fasting, then feel free to share in the comments below.

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