Intermittent fasting is becoming increasingly popular globally because of its health benefits. There is promising evidence that this approach helps repair the body in several ways.
Intermittent fasting is a popular time-restricted diet. An eating pattern requires you to change your meal times and not the meal itself. The most popular form of intermittent fasting is 16:8, where those who fast leave a gap of 16 hours between their last and first meal of the day and consume all the remaining meals within the 8-hour window.
The time-restricted diet plan is often used as a weight-loss tool. While there is evidence that intermittent fasting helps you lose weight, it is often not considered the best way to lose weight. However, this approach has several other benefits for your mind and body.
Let’s look at the top 5 benefits of intermittent fasting:
Helps You Lose Visceral Fat
Most people try out intermittent fasting for its most obvious benefit: weight loss. While the time-restricted approach is not the best way to lose weight, it certainly affects your hormones that aid in weight loss, especially with the loss of visceral fat. Visceral fat is fat stored deep inside the belly and organs, and also known as hidden fat.
Intermittent fasting lowers insulin levels and enhances the human growth hormone (HGH), which helps promote the breakdown of fat to release energy, leading to abdominal fat loss.
Lowers Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
While there are several benefits of intermittent fasting, the one that gets the most attention is that it helps lower your risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Given the sedentary lifestyle, type 2 diabetes is becoming an increasingly common health concern in recent decades. Intermittent fasting can reduce your risk for Type 2 diabetes by lowering your blood sugar level and insulin levels, which together protect against Type 2 diabetes.
Aids in Reducing Inflammation and Oxidative Stress
Our bodies experience oxidative stress due to the unstable free molecules, known as free radicals present in the environment, damaging our DNA and leading to chronic conditions. Moreover, oxidative stress is one of the leading causes of premature aging, neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, and even health conditions such as cancer.
Studies indicate that intermittent fasting may enhance your body’s response against oxidative stress and lower the inflammation levels in the body that can protect you against several health conditions, including cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
Boosts Brain Health
Intermittent fasting allows your body to get energy from stored fat instead of sugar as your body goes into ketosis, which helps clear brain fog and enhances your focus and productivity. Moreover, since intermittent fasting positively affects your hormones, it aids in improving brain function.
May Help You Live Longer
Last on the list is the most exciting benefit of intermittent fasting, which is its ability to extend your lifespan. While no one knows for sure how long you will live, but given the overall health benefits of intermittent fasting, it’s likely that this time-restricted eating pattern is likely to help you live a healthier and longer life.
Conclusion
Intermittent fasting is a time-restricted diet that brings several health benefits. If you are interested in starting intermittent fasting, make sure you speak to your healthcare provider to determine its benefits for your mind and body.