Health Benifits of Fasting

[Bronzeage]

I once ingested a liter of nitroglycerin IV every 6 hours for 4 days. I was told this would be a lethal dose for a healthy person. Sometimes toxins are the best things in life.

 

[One]

That's good; because biochemistry disagrees with the whole idea of 'toxins' that can be eliminated by diet/fasting/yoga/mineral water/aligning chackras/buying my latest video/etc.

It doesn't matter whether you agree or not; it remains true. Science is like that.

I know. But then, studying biochemistry and molecular biology for years will do that.

It amazes me how many people think that their ignorance is a solid basis for belief.

No one here is taking the OP all that seriously. I typically take the Devil's Advocate opinion in threads like this.
And I dissect the beliefs and the perimeters of those beliefs given in the responses. Like yours.

My field of study is the manifestation of belief and its impact on the mind. In other words, I study thought constructs.
It's not molecular biology or biochemisty, but I find it amazing, too.
I find secular thought constructs to be the most fascinating.

A solid belief is formulated by external phenomenon affecting three or more of the five senses.
Residual beliefs (beliefs based on abstract concepts) are formed when backed by a series of direct experiences categorized in memory to form an organized framework.
A malleable belief is one that reorganizes itself or collapses when presented with direct evidence. Most of our opinions regarding the outside world fall under this category.

Ultimately, if the adherent sincerely believes fasting releases toxins in the body or is a useful methodology, this will result in positive experiences with it.
Irrespective of evidence to the contrary, even when presented with scientific studies or a person with vast scientific accolades.
This is because the mind has formed a residual belief based direct experience, even if these experiences constitute nothing more than placebo effect.

I would not call this ignorance. I would call it human nature.

 

[bilby]

It doesn't matter whether you agree or not; it remains true. Science is like that.

I know. But then, studying biochemistry and molecular biology for years will do that.

It amazes me how many people think that their ignorance is a solid basis for belief.

No one here is taking the OP all that seriously. I typically take the Devil's Advocate opinion in threads like this.
And I dissect the beliefs and the perimeters of those beliefs given in the responses. Like yours.

My field of study is the manifestation of belief and its impact on the mind. In other words, I study thought constructs.
It's not molecular biology or biochemisty, but I find it amazing, too.
I find secular thought constructs to be the most fascinating.

A solid belief is formulated by external phenomenon affecting three or more of the five senses.
Residual beliefs (beliefs based on abstract concepts) are formed when backed by a series of direct experiences categorized in memory to form an organized framework.
A malleable belief is one that reorganizes itself or collapses when presented with direct evidence. Most of our opinions regarding the outside world fall under this category.

Ultimately, if the adherent sincerely believes fasting releases toxins in the body or is a useful methodology, this will result in positive experiences with it.
Irrespective of evidence to the contrary, even when presented with scientific studies or a person with vast scientific accolades.
This is because the mind has formed a residual belief based direct experience, even if these experiences constitute nothing more than placebo effect.

I would not call this ignorance. I would call it human nature.

I would say that the two are synonymous; humans are, by nature, ignorant.

Like many inherent qualities of humanity, this is one I prefer to take a stand against.

We have the ability to be better than our natural condition. That's why I can make a rich life for myself using devices based on etched silicon wafers, rather than making a poor living using devices based on chipped pieces of flint.

That so many choose to discard this ability to do better saddens me.

 

[Jayjay]

Bumping a five year old thread.

I decided to try fasting for 48 hours every week for 52 weeks, for weight loss and general health purposes. I've stayed as long without eating before, so it will probably not kill me.

 

[bilby]

Bumping a five year old thread.

I decided to try fasting for 48 hours every week for 52 weeks, for weight loss and general health purposes. I've stayed as long without eating before, so it will probably not kill me.

Bumping a five year old thread.

I decided to try fasting for 48 hours every week for 52 weeks, for weight loss and general health purposes. I've stayed as long without eating before, so it will probably not kill me.

Sounds dangerous to me.

It's only been four hours, and already I'm seeing double.

 

[Trausti]

Simply, fasting/calorie restriction promote autophagy. It's unhealthy to be eating all the time. Breakfast is the worst mean of the day. This is not pseudoscience.

The effect of fasting or calorie restriction on autophagy induction: A review of the literature

The Effects of Calorie Restriction on Autophagy: Role on Aging Intervention

Autophagy is an important housekeeping process that maintains a proper cellular homeostasis under normal physiologic and/or pathologic conditions. It is responsible for the disposal and recycling of metabolic macromolecules and damaged organelles through broad lysosomal degradation processes. Under stress conditions, including nutrient deficiency, autophagy is substantially activated to maintain proper cell function and promote cell survival. Altered autophagy processes have been reported in various aging studies, and a dysregulated autophagy is associated with various age-associated diseases. Calorie restriction (CR) is regarded as the gold standard for many aging intervention methods. Although it is clear that CR has diverse effects in counteracting aging process, the exact mechanisms by which it modulates those processes are still controversial. Recent advances in CR research have suggested that the activation of autophagy is linked to the observed beneficial anti-aging effects. Evidence showed that CR induced a robust autophagy response in various metabolic tissues, and that the inhibition of autophagy attenuated the anti-aging effects of CR. The mechanisms by which CR modulates the complex process of autophagy have been investigated in depth. In this review, several major advances related to CR’s anti-aging mechanisms and anti-aging mimetics will be discussed, focusing on the modification of the autophagy response.

 

[J842P]

Bumping a five year old thread.

I decided to try fasting for 48 hours every week for 52 weeks, for weight loss and general health purposes. I've stayed as long without eating before, so it will probably not kill me.

It definitely won't kill you, unless you mean water too.

 

[rousseau]

I tried 16 hour fasting out to help lose some weight. I found that stretch was a bit too long, and it quickly morphed into about a 14 hour fast. Now I don't eat anything in the morning until about 10:30 - 11:00. I don't know about health benefits, but I found with my job I was so inactive that this was the only reasonable method to shed some excess weight. I don't know if I've lost much, but I'm definitely not gaining, and I'm definitely eating much less overall.

For a 48 hour fast I'd likely consult my family physician before attempting it. If you were generally healthy you'd likely want to keep a close eye on bodily cues while attempting it, but it would be otherwise harmless. Extensive periods without eating, while not preferable, likely aren't that abnormal to our physiology. And it likely is good for weight loss - IIRC my brother did it a few times, along with 16 hour fasting, and he's lost a lot of weight.

 

[skepticalbip]

And then there are those who claim that eating isn't necessary at all... and some that believe them.

https://nypost.com/2017/06/15/breatharian-couple-survives-on-the-universes-energy-instead-of-food/

‘Breatharian’ couple survives on ‘the universe’s energy’ instead of food

Personal opinion...
Exercise is much more important to maintain a healthy body than diet. Unused muscles atrophy, a case of use it or loose it. Without exercise, food intake goes to storage (fat) rather than to muscle. Besides, being out doing things is more enjoyable than sitting all day... really, I find hiking a wilderness trail much more enjoyable than watching a video of someone hiking that trail, kayaking more enjoyable than watching a video of someone kayaking, etc. Even walking and seeing the neighborhood is more enjoyable than sitting inside.

Personal opinion on diet....
Hungry? Eat something and stop eating when that hunger is gone rather than when the plate is empty or the stomach will hold no more.

 

[Jayjay]

Personal opinion on diet....
Hungry? Eat something and stop eating when that hunger is gone rather than when the plate is empty or the stomach will hold no more.

The problem with that is that some people, myself included, don't get proper bodily cues like that for whatever reason. I don't feel hunger. Makes fasting and low-calorie diets super easy, but also makes it a conscious effort to eat proper foods at proper times.

Anyway, first weekend is about to be over. Felt a bit tired around 24-hour mark, but after that it's a breeze. I'm feeling I could continue for another day or two if I wanted to.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

A 48 hour fast once a week is probably akin to what our ancestors experienced. As you go along I'd keep a close watch on nutrition. 48 hours is too much for me. I presently attempt to do all my eating in a 6 or 8 hour window everyday, typically not eating until noon at the earliest. Do you have a weight goal? The weight goal along with a healthy diet and activity would be my focus. Staving off the maladies of age is the overall plan here, being able to continue doing and enjoying the things that make life worth living.

 

[excreationist]

Besides autophagy a benefit is losing fat while keeping muscle...

Like this comedian:



Usually when you just reduce calories you can lose more muscle....

Also apparently fasting can cause your brain to run on ketones instead of glucose and this can cause you to have more focus...

Though when I tried this I ended up in the mental ward for a manic episode (perhaps related to brain chemistry)

https://talkfreethought.org/showthr...nalities-quot-and-split-brain-experiments-etc