Intermittent fasting
Can you reap its benefits without fasting? What if you can???
Intermittent fasting (IF) has surged in popularity as both a weight loss method and a way to improve overall health. Unlike traditional diets that focus on what you eat, IF concentrates on when you eat, introducing periods of fasting into your daily or weekly schedule. This approach has been linked to a host of health benefits, from improved metabolic rates to extended longevity.
Introduction
Intermittent fasting isn’t a new concept; it’s a practice that dates back centuries, used for both spiritual and health reasons. However, its resurgence in the modern health and wellness sphere is supported by a growing body of scientific research. IF’s flexibility, ease of adherence, and multitude of health benefits have made it a favored lifestyle choice for many seeking to improve their health and well-being.
The Practice of Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting involves cycling between periods of eating and fasting. The most popular methods include the 16/8 method, where you fast for 16 hours and eat during an 8-hour window; the 5:2 diet, which involves eating normally for 5 days and restricting calories to 500-600 for 2 days of the week; and alternate-day fasting, where you alternate days of normal eating with days of fasting or significant calorie reduction.
The flexibility of IF allows individuals to choose a method that best fits their lifestyle, making it a sustainable approach to health and wellness.
Scientific Basis of Intermittent Fasting
At its core, intermittent fasting works by extending the period when your body has burned through the calories consumed during your last meal and begins burning fat. This state is known as metabolic switching, and research suggests it offers numerous health benefits.
A narrative review published in “Nutrition Reviews” (2023) explores the mechanisms behind IF’s health benefits, including optimization of energy metabolism, prevention of obesity, and promotion of brain health
. The review highlights IF’s potential to impact a range of bodily systems positively, from enhancing immune function to delaying aging processes.
mTOR is the centre of effects
Expanding on the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR)(if you call it Mammalian target of Rapamycin, the sky will not fall) as a core principle of intermittent fasting, it’s essential to understand mTOR’s critical function in cell biology. mTOR acts as a master regulator, controlling cell growth, proliferation, motility, survival, protein synthesis, and transcription. When nutrient levels are high, mTOR activity promotes anabolism, leading to cell growth and proliferation. However, intermittent fasting decreases nutrient availability, thereby inhibiting mTOR signalling. This reduction plays a crucial role in activating cellular pathways that enhance stress resilience, promote autophagy—the body’s way of cleaning out damaged cells to regenerate newer, healthier cells—and improve overall metabolic efficiency. Through these mechanisms, intermittent fasting leverages the mTOR pathway to potentially extend lifespan and mitigate the effects of aging and age-related diseases. This complex interplay underscores the significant impact of dietary patterns on cellular and metabolic health, illustrating why intermittent fasting has become a focus of research in longevity and preventive medicine.
Effects on Diseases
Intermittent fasting has shown promise in affecting various diseases, particularly those associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. The practice has been linked to improved markers of health in these conditions, including reduced inflammation, lower blood sugar levels, and improved lipid profiles.
Additionally, IF’s role in weight management can indirectly influence disease outcomes by reducing risk factors associated with obesity.
Intermittent Fasting as an Anti-Aging Modality
Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of intermittent fasting is its potential as an anti-aging intervention. By promoting autophagy, the process by which cells remove and recycle damaged components, IF may contribute to longevity and reduced age-related diseases.
Moreover, the practice has been associated with improved brain health, including enhanced memory and reduced risk of neurodegenerative diseases, positioning IF as a powerful tool in the anti-aging arsenal.
Is fasting essential to inhibit mTOR??
The idea to do fasting or even intermittent fasting, may not be pleasant for many of us. When food is plenty and full of variety, it is not easy for someone to resist eating even if not hungry. Then, is it that such people will never be able to reap the benefits like what those who do fasting reap? Now there is the good news. There are modalities and methods which allow you to reap all the benefits of fasting without actually putting yourself to the pressures of undesired period of not taking any food. Sounds music to ears. Looks like too good to be true. But Soma Wellness has refined protocols and methods, where if you don’t desire to do a fast, still you can avail all the benefits of fasting.
Integrating IF with a Holistic Wellness Approach at SOMA Wellness
At SOMA Wellness, we recognize the power of intermittent fasting not just as a standalone practice but as a key component of a holistic wellness and anti-aging protocol. Our comprehensive approach includes supervised fasting programs tailored to individual needs, coupled with dietary modifications, an exercise regimen, supplements optimization, and prescription drugs aimed at combating the effects of aging.
Incorporating cutting-edge regenerative therapies, such as low dose naltrexone and EBOO ozone therapy, we offer a multifaceted strategy to address accelerated aging due to chronic diseases, exposure to pollutants and toxins, and unhealthy lifestyle choices. Our goal is to empower individuals to take control of their health and experience the transformative benefits of a life lived well.
If you do intermittent fasting to combat ageing, why not to come to Soma wellness to understand how to reap its maximum benefits?
If you don’t do, it is a stronger reason to consult Soma wellness to understand how to put your body into an antiaging paradigm without going hungry for long periods.
References
Li Z, Huang L, Luo Y, Yu B, Tian G. Effects and possible mechanisms of intermittent fasting on health and disease: a narrative review. Nutr Rev. 2023 Nov 10;81(12):1626-1635. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuad026. Review. PubMed PMID: 36940184.