In ancient times, people were fasting as spiritual practice but today, many people claim that fasting has lots of health benefits. Research shows that fasting for short periods, lasting from 20 to 36 hours anywhere can in fact reduce heart diseases, diabetes & may be cancer.
Some of the health benefits of fasting are:
- Anti aging Effects: During fasting, our cell membranes become more sensitive to insulin so that after fasting, every bite of food is efficiently used. Fasting also reduces oxidative stress& enhances the cellular repair processes and thus it’s a key strategy for anti aging & longevity effects.
- Auto Immune Disorders: Many of the auto immune diseases like Arthritis, Lupus, Colitis, Asthma, Eczema, Psoriasis, Crohn’s Disease and environmental allergies are becoming more common due to gut leakage. The absorption of antigenic substances into the blood stream increases the gut permeability and thus aggravate these diseases. Fasting helps in normalizing the gut permeability & ease the transition to health promoting & low inflammatory diet.
- Obesity: It results after the addiction to the artificial stimulation of dopamine in the brain by the consumption of chemicals present in foods like oil, sugar, dairy products & salt. In fasting, people generally use raw foods like fruits & vegetables, raw nuts & seeds and minimally processed foods which are health promoting diet. If these foods are consumed with adequate sleep and activity, obesity reduces and consistent weight loss occurs.
- Diabetes: It increases due to the consequences in dietary excess and results in high blood sugar levels & insulin resistance consequences result in heart attacks & strokes, blindness from retinal damage, nerve damage, impotence, gangrene, reduced healing capacity etc. Fasting along with proper diet and exercise increases insulin sensitivity and brings blood sugar under control. A period of fasting may prove beneficial for controlling blood sugar without medications.
- Drug Addiction: Drugs like caffeine, nicotine, alcohol etc. have become so addicted that these are dominating the lives of people living in industrialized area. But research and studies show that if a person is fasting for a period, they can escape from addiction can live life free without dependence on health compromising chemicals.
- Exhaustion: It has become very common in our fast-paced lives. Fatigue, depression, artificial stimulants, lack of sleep, poor diet & busy lifestyles increase the physical & mental exhaustion. Fasting can help in giving your body & mind a complete rest and can recharge your system.