
Humans have evolved over time to be able to subsist on very little food and occasionally go days without eating. The way that organs react to extended fasts and when they begin to coordinate their response to the lack of food has been uncovered by a recent study.
In a study that was published in the journal Nature Metabolism, researchers described how the body goes through major, systematic changes over a prolonged period of fasting in several different organs. The study indicates both potential alterations that could affect health and advantages from health.
On the third day, these alterations that affect health start to manifest.
The Norwegian School of Sports Sciences and Queen Mary University of London's Precision Healthcare University Research Institute (PHURI) collaborated to develop a roadmap for future studies that may result in therapeutic interventions, particularly for those who might benefit from fasting but are unable to observe extended fasts.
What Happens During FASTING?
The body modifies its energy consumption during the fasting period, shifting from calorie consumption to fat storage as its energy source and type. Beyond this alteration in the body's fuel structure, research knows very little about how the body reacts to extended fasts.
Now that thousands of proteins are flowing through the body at this time, the team is able to track and measure them. They observed twelve in good health going on a seven-day water-only fast.
They were monitored as more than 3000 proteins were measured in their blood before, during, and after the fast in order to use genetic data from many research to predict the possible health effects of extended fasting.
After roughly three days of fasting, the team discovered that the body experienced noticeable alterations in protein levels, indicating a whole-body reaction to stringent calorie restriction.
An analysis of the measurements showed that during fasting, one in three of the proteins in all major organs changed dramatically. These alterations were similar for all of the volunteers, although fasting had additional hallmarks besides weight loss, such as modifications to the proteins that support brain neurons.
We can now observe what happens to the body's molecules during a fast for the first time. When carried out properly, fasting is a useful weight-loss strategy. Fasting-based popular diets, such intermittent fasting, offer health advantages beyond only helping people lose weight, according to a statement from Claudia Langenberg, director of Queen Mary's Precision Health University Research Institute (PHURI).
The findings support the health advantages of fasting beyond weight reduction, although they did not become apparent until three days of complete calorie restriction—a longer period of time than previously believed.