A new study demonstrates that practicing intermittent fasting increases levels of arachidonic acid and reduces harmful inflammation.
Is intermittent fasting truly beneficial, or is it just a fad?
This dietary regimen has garnered a lot of attention in recent years and gained popularity for its effectiveness in weight loss. However, scientific research continues to suggest that the benefits are not solely limited to weight loss but also include notable health benefits associated with regular fasting periods.
According to a recent study published by the University of Cambridge, leaving an entire day between meals can reduce levels of harmful inflammation in the body and, consequently, reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s.
Let’s delve deeper into the results of this research and all the benefits of intermittent fasting.
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Why Intermittent Fasting Is Beneficial
What Is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a dietary pattern that alternates between periods of eating and fasting at regular intervals.
According to this approach, it’s not so much about the types of foods we should eat, but rather when we should eat them.
Common intermittent fasting patterns include the 16/8 fasting, where one eats only during an 8-hour window and fasts for the remaining 16 hours, or the daily fasting, where one alternates between fasting days and normal eating days.
The main goal is to divert the body’s attention away from food digestion.
During the fasting period, the body undergoes a series of metabolic changes: with no food left to digest in the stomach, it focuses on the recovery and restorative process.
Why It’s Talked About So Much
It has long been suspected that the human body is not evolutionarily adapted to the modern habit of eating and snacking constantly throughout the day.
Instead, researchers believe that our bodies are better suited to the dietary routine of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, who likely consumed fewer meals with much longer intervals between them.
Scientists argue that our diet – particularly the high-calorie Western diet – may increase the risk of diseases including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, which are linked to chronic inflammation in the body.
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injuries or infections, where the body prepares to defend and repair damage.
However, researchers believe that eating can interrupt or weaken these regenerative and healing processes when blood sugar levels increase.
For this reason, scientists are convinced that allowing more hours between meals gives our bodies time to perform repair and maintenance activities that keep our cells healthy.
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The Research
Scientists at the University of Cambridge have analyzed the relationship between intermittent fasting and the reduction of inflammation in the body. They studied a group of 21 volunteers, asking them to consume a 500-calorie meal, fast for 24 hours, and then consume another 500-calorie meal.
The results, published in the medical journal Cell Reports, show that a 24-hour fast increased levels of a fatty acid called arachidonic acid in the body, a substance capable of reducing harmful inflammation in the body.
“This research provides a potential explanation of how changing our diet – especially through fasting – protects us from inflammation, which is at the root of many diseases linked to a high-calorie Western diet,” said Professor Clare Bryant, head of the Department of Medicine at the University of Cambridge.
“It is too early to say whether fasting protects against diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s as the effects of arachidonic acid are short-lived, but our work adds to a growing body of scientific literature highlighting the health benefits of calorie restriction.”
“It suggests that regular fasting for an extended period helps to reduce the chronic inflammation we associate with these conditions.”
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This article first appeared on Grazia.it – Author: Miriam Tagini
