Calorie counting can be a helpful tool for weight loss and maintenance goals, studies have shown when you consume calories they may also have an impact on health, and eating less often may be beneficial.
Fast mimicking diet plans are intended to trick the body into thinking you are fasting. Dr. Valter Longo has conducted many studies on fasting, including one involving a small group of human participants featuring 71 subjects published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
University of Southern California researchers found FMD had profound effect on the health of human participants: along with reducing body weight and fat following FMD resulted in reduced production of IGF-1 hormone thought to be involved with processes that cause disease and aging. Subjects following FDM also showed decreases in C-reactive protein which is a biomarker for inflammation and has been linked to a variety of conditions and diseases.
Fasting mimicking diet plans are what many refer to as intermittent fasting in which one may only eating during a certain time frame. Such plans trick the body into thinking you are fasting rather than just restricting when you can eat and are actually fasting for a short period of time. FMD has been proven to cause the body to think you are fasting due to 3 findings: in addition to producing less of IGF-1, glucose levels decreased, and ketone levels increased in study participants which are all signs of the body being in fasting mode.
This Longevity Institute study is not the only one to make note of potential health benefits of intermittent fasting or similar eating patterns; fasting protocol can have many forms, but the benefits are consistent. Benefits of fasting have been reported to extend from weight loss, lowering glucose levels, improved cognitive functions, to better mood stability.
The potential benefits of fasting seem to be vast whether it be reducing inflammation, boosting longevity, or slowing down the aging process, fasting has been associated with a wide variety of health benefits. Fasting is thought to improve blood lipid profiles by reducing triglycerides, lowering blood pressure and promoting total health. Fasting reduces glucose levels and bolsters insulin sensitivity while promoting great satiety; and fasting is thought to boost metabolism and improve body composition among the many health benefits.
