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It seems as if a new fad diet appears on social media out of nowhere at least a few times a year. Each time that happens, it gets harder to know what works, what’s healthy, what’s definitely not, and what noise just isn’t worth your time.
One thing that we should get out of the way up front about fasting it that it’s not a fad. The practice has been part of many different cultures for millennia (for various reasons), and it turns out that scientists are also backing up the idea that intermittent fasting could be a good thing for us to incorporate into our health strategies.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8CfWk_gQrs/
Recent research has shown that a simple 24-hour fast can reverse the age-related loss of functionality in intestinal stem cells in mice, regardless of their age.
The scientists involved published their findings in Cell Stem Cell and state that after just a single day without food, intestinal stem cells stopped burning carbohydrates and started burning fat, which improved their functionality.
MIT’s Omer Yilmaz, the senior author professor on the project, said in a statement that “intestinal stem cells are the workhorses of the intestine that give rise to more stem cells and to all of the various differentiated cell types of the intestine. Notably, during aging, intestinal stem function declines, which impairs the ability of the intestine to repair itself after damage.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4U7zJtg3A8/
What they found is that once fasting begins, certain transcription factors – proteins that help convert DNA to RNA – activate. They are called PPARs, and when they’re off, your cells don’t burn fatty acids and can’t boost regeneration.
The researchers found that, even once the short fast was over, the PPARs still got the beneficial effect (no word yet on how long it might last or how often intermittent fasting could improve your overall health).
So, if you’re into fasting already, here’s one more science-backed reason to continue.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B77UDv9BBjv/
If you’re not, but you’re looking for a way to feel better or lose some clinging fat, it sounds like intermittent fasting could be a promising way to make that happen.
Stay tuned!
