Some scientists recommend eating 3 meals and 3 snacks a day, while others recommend not eating any at all. Before you panic, know that this is not a starvation mission. In fact, this is one of the oldest practices in human history.
For example, the therapeutic use of fasting dates back to at least the fifth century BC, when the Greek physician Hippocrates recommended it for patients who show certain symptoms of disease.
There are many diets that advertise abstinence from eating and drinking only water for a certain period of time. And we wanted to investigate what happens to the body after a 3-day fast without any food.
- Your cells can regenerate faster.
The skin of an adult covers approximately 2 square meters and represents about 20% of the total body weight. Fasting in water causes the skin cells to regenerate themselves.
Researchers suggest that the process begins after 18-20 hours of fasting and reaches its peak after 48-72 hours. Furthermore, the process of cell renewal can protect against Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease.
- It can lower your blood pressure.
Fasting with water alone can help lower blood pressure, which is one of the most serious diseases that the modern world suffers from. Fasting shows promising results even in people with very high blood pressure, but should be practiced only with medical supervision.
- It can boost your metabolism.
The hormones insulin and leptin play a key role in the body’s metabolism. Insulin helps store nutrients from the bloodstream, while leptin serves as a satiety hormone. Studies show that fasting with water can make your body more sensitive to these hormones.
Higher levels of sensitivity increase the effectiveness of these hormones, which means that your body will be able to lower blood sugar and prevent obesity.
- It can prevent some chronic diseases.
Fasting in water is thought to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including diabetes and heart disease. In addition, animal research suggests that fasting in water may suppress genes involved in the growth of cancer cells. This can also make chemotherapy more effective.
- It can strengthen the function of the brain.
Fasting was first prescribed as a treatment for epilepsy more than 2,000 years ago. In addition, research shows that fasting helps clear the mind and fill the senses, while stimulating brain function.
Fasting can also improve cognitive function, stop age-related cognitive decline, reduce neurodegeneration, reduce brain damage, and improve functional recovery after a stroke.
- You can lose some weight.
The most commonly associated benefit of fasting is weight loss. Weight loss will be followed by fatigue and constant tiredness. Without energy-burning foods, your body begins to burn body fat (stored fuel) to keep working.
With a 24-hour fast, you will lose about a third or a pound of fat, not water. But fasting with water alone should not be practiced for more than 3 days, there are several types of fasting such as the method of eating only 8 hours a day and not eating for 16 hours.
