Fasting diet can prolong your life

Opinions about fasting are different. Many nutritionists are advising against strict fasting if not under the control of a doctor. Nevertheless, more and more studies show that fasting can also have positive effects on the body. One of the last studies was conducted in California, where scientists have discovered that the fasting not only helps to lose extra pounds, but even prolongs life.

If you are going to reduce the amount of calories for a half for at least five days per month, you will live longer and have a lower risk of developing diseases, claim American scientists from the University of Southern California.

They carried out an experiment where people were five days of the month on strict diet, involving almost half of fewer calories than normal. After five days of fasting they could return to a normal diet. This experiment was repeated for three consecutive months and the first positive effects were observed.

Results have shown that the level of sugar in blood felt for about 10% to the participants during the five-day fasting experiment, and also remained six per cent lower in the remaining days, when individuals enjoyed normal diet.

For 24 percent decreased also the amount of chemicals IGF1 flowing through the bloodstream, and is associated with diseases of aging. Three months later they had fewer signs of aging, diabetes, signs of cardiovascular disease and cancer, compared to the group that was not fasting. The positive effects of fasting lasted well after the return to a normal diet – no matter how unhealthy the diet was.

Diet, which was carried out under medical supervision, containing 34 to 54 percent fewer calories than normal diet of participants. In the first day they ate only 1,090 calories and over the next four days only 725 calories.

Strict fasting is difficult for people to adhere to and in addition can be dangerous. Therefore, we have developed a complex diet that triggers the same effects in the body as the fasting.

Although the study was small and included only 19 participants, it was conducted on the basis of the preceding studies, which were performed on mice. These were subjected to a similar diet, but carried out with for four days twice per month.

Researchers have discovered that cells in mice that fasted, had faster regeneration – including bone cells, muscle, liver, brain and immune system.

The mice, which were on a diet in compare with the control group lived longer, suffered less inflammatory diseases, cancer and had less loss of bone density. Moreover, it has been shown to have a better ability to learn and memorize. Nutrition with fasting in fact helped in the regeneration part of the brain called the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory.