[LifeStyle] To fast or not to fast: is there any use to stop eating?

[#Steeven.™]

Fasting is nothing new. In fact, in recent years, intermittent fasting has become po[CENSORED]r in order to detoxify the body or lose extra kilos. Something very different from the idea of doing it in a long way and with remote supervision. Not for nothing did Muñoz's decision unleash so much controversy, to the extent that even the College of Nutritionists denounced her for attacking her followers: “We believe that these types of initiatives promote treatments that have no scientific basis and threaten people's health. ”.

Loren Lockman, leader of the Tanglewood Wellness Center and Muñoz's advisor, already enjoyed world fame and the influencer's fast coincided with the premiere of the docurreality For better or for worse (Netflix), where he appears as one of the protagonists in the episode about him. fast. It shows how two people died while being treated at their different centers (the first in the United States and the second in Costa Rica) and how Lockman guides these "diets" without being a doctor or nutritionist by profession. In fact, on the center's website, they describe him as "a talented speaker, an original thinker, a dedicated teacher and coach, and an expert in Healing."

Are fasts of any use? Is it possible to detoxify the body by stopping eating for a long time? And most importantly, what are the dangers it entails?

 

Intermittent fasting

You can fast without stopping eating for three weeks. One of the most po[CENSORED]r ways to do it is through intermittent fasting, where you stop eating for a limited time, which can be done two days a week or several hours a day. There are even free downloadable applications that guide the process by recommending which foods to break the fast with and congratulating the user when they meet “goals” related to not eating.

According to the National Institute on Aging in the United States, there are hundreds of studies in animals and humans that show that intermittent fasting can lead to improved health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular health, cancer and even neurological disorders. What has not been demonstrated are its long-term effects.

There is also no certainty about the benefits that a person of a healthy weight, a minor, or an older adult could obtain, since studies are usually conducted in overweight and middle-aged people.

On the other hand, the doctor and Master in Public Health, Monique Tello, writes in the digital magazine of the Harvard Medical School: “There is good scientific evidence that suggests that the circadian rhythm fasting (where you stop eating between 7 in the afternoon and 7 in the morning), when combined with a diet and a healthy lifestyle can have a particular effect on weight loss, especially for people at risk of diabetes. However, people with advanced diabetes or taking medication for diabetes, who have a history of eating disorders, are pregnant or breastfeeding, should not try it without the supervision of a specialist ”.

Dana Bortnick, a nutritionist at the INDISA Clinic, adds other benefits: “Generally, there is a weight loss between 2% and 8% of the initial weight in two months, it reduces insulin resistance by reducing blood glucose levels and fasting insulin levels and some studies show a reduction in inflammation markers, although more research is needed on the subject to evaluate this effect ”.

 

Prolonged fasts

But of course, a fast lasting a few hours does not attract as much attention as one that lasts almost a full month. Most of these fasts have a low caloric intake, but still food is consumed, the main fruits, vegetables and juices being produced with them. Unlike fasting with only water, here you continue to receive minerals and vitamins, although in low amounts.

There are not many studies in relation to these prolonged fasts, but a study by the University of Memphis, published in 2010, studied the health of people who underwent the Daniel Fast, po[CENSORED]r among some evangelical communities, which consists of consuming for 21 days fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and seeds, trying not to exceed 200 calories a day.

The study showed that this type of fast was well tolerated in healthy men and women and that it could even improve risk factors for cardiovascular disease, mainly because the short-term effects are positive and those who do it try to maintain them in the long term, so they tend to follow healthy eating habits.

"The main risk of prolonged fasting, which is understood as fasting for more than a day, is the Refeeding Syndrome, which is the set of metabolic alterations triggered when people eat again", says Bortnick and adds: "These alterations can become so severe that they can cause death. Other observed effects are irritability, drowsiness, dizziness, hypotension and cardiovascular problems ”.

 

The myth of detox

We don't need fasts, diets, or cold-pressed juices to detoxify our bodies. The solution is much simpler and cheaper, since the human body has organs such as the lungs, livers, intestines and kidneys that detoxify the body on a daily basis, without having to consume anything special.

Already in 2008, the Harvard University Women's Watch medium warned that restrictive diets and everything that implies a significant decrease in daily caloric intake ends up damaging the metabolism, making it slower and inevitably causing that once the diet is finished, it stops. a dreaded weight rebound.

"The detox programs that are promoted to the public are do-it-yourself procedures that seek to eliminate these alleged toxins responsible for a variety of symptoms, including headaches, swelling, joint pain, fatigue and depression," the article explains. “Detox products are not available with a prescription; they are sold in retail stores, in spas, on the internet and by mail order. Many are touted as useful for detoxifying specific organs or systems, while others would be purifying for the whole body, "he adds.

Still, during a detox people usually feel better, more energetic, and able to maintain a healthy sleep cycle. But this is because highly processed foods, fried foods and food that, in general, we should eat rarely and not as part of our weekly diet, were left out of their possibilities.