Health & Wellness

Fasting Benefits and Side effects symptoms for men and women

Are you wondering what are fasting benefits and side effects symptoms? Fasting is the new fitness trend in modern society. Though in every religion, there is a rule of fasting as we believe that fasting encourages us with the power to pray more accurately and consciously to God. We develop the capability to focus on God through the sacrifice of fasting, and thus we experience a profound spiritual insight.

But the modern concept of fasting shows us that from other than spiritual reasons, fasting can be helpful to gain some health goal as well.

Controlled fasting can enrich our lifestyle and our health from a different perspective. Not many people incorporate the process of fasting in their lifestyle other than a spiritual reason, but it is high to do so.

So the young and the old generation are incorporating fasting in their lifestyle to stay more fit and active. Let us check the benefits Of Fasting that may surprise you a lot.

What Religions Fast?

Fasting is compulsory in each religion. Such as in Islam during Ramdan month and in many religious communities like Buddhist monks and nuns who follow Vinaya rules and do partial fasting. It is the process by which an individual willingly restrict their food or drink consumption.

According to medical science, fasting means staying on an empty stomach for a couple of hours or after the complete digestion of one meal or a whole day. Commonly an absolute fast in which water or any liquid is not taken for performing any religious rituals.

However, fasting is the method of going without food, including religious rites, detoxification, stomach cleaning, etc.

Types of fasting

So based on the various reasons, we can divide fasting into the following categories:

• Religious fast.

• Partial fast.

• Water fast.

• Fast for the medical cause.

• Juice fast.

• Full fast.

• Fast to detoxify.

• Fast following weight loss regime.

Fasting Benefits and Side effects

Fasting Benefits and Side effects

Each form of fasting has an overall beneficial impact on our physical as well as mental condition. The modern Generation is more health-conscious, and so fasting has gained worldwide popularity among all the classes.

So we do not confine the act of fasting only as an act of religious beliefs. Let us clarify the fasting benefits for men and women both-

1. Fasting Improves Brain Activity

Anyone may think it a little strange, but fasting indeed accelerates brain function. Studies have shown that in the case of the human brain, fasting increases energy as it changes specific cell functions. At the same time, it increases the production of the protein, which is responsible for activating the brain’s stem cells to activate new neurons.

It also guards the brain cells to go through the changes during Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

2. Increase Mental Peace and Spiritualism

When we talk about human well-being, we cover physical health and mental health because a healthy body and a healthy mind are the two prime assets of any individual to monitor the overall function of life.

Fasting for religious rituals leads us to experience joy and mental satisfaction as it helps us get closer to the almighty.

To reach him, we surrender our essential comfort, which brings clarity to our thoughts. So fasting is necessary to purify our soul.

3. Helps to Regularize Eating Habits

Modern lifestyle has changed every sphere of life, especially our eating habits. Our Gen Y members are addicted to fast food that is readily available everywhere, so they are facing problems in the stomach and digestion.

Fasting is an age-old practice that helps to grow a healthy eating habit in all. A five to six hours fasting in between meals or intermittent fasting reduces junk food intake and indirectly helps the digestive system work efficiently.

4. Helps to Detoxify

The term detoxification means a lot as far as our well-being is concerned. It is perhaps one of the most surprising benefits of fasting that directly improve our system.

During fasting, the absence of food for an extended period indulges the glycogen stored by the liver in glucose form. But it does not work or last after 24 hours.

Our body begins to break down the fat and release the stored harmful chemicals from the fats into the system, thus eliminating them with the help of the kidney, lungs, lymph nodes, and skin.

5. Aids in Weight Loss

It’s sure that with fasting, anyone can lose weight naturally without spending hours for exercise. An intermittent fasting or occasional fasting for a couple of hours a day indulges the fat cells in burning to produce energy.

However, overweight people follow a strict diet rule ignoring delicious food for a long time, which means to deprive is the earliest solution.

Individuals can take food at a regular interval of 5-6 hours, and they will follow fasting for the remaining hours. A few low-calorie foods will prove more effective.

6. Enhance Life Span

How can fasting enhance our lifespan while we all take food for a living? Though strange enough yet true, recent researchers found that fasting can strengthen lifespan, reduce stress, and slow down ageing.

There is so much evidence, such as monks, who eat minimum food once a day but live a long life. Thus fasting encourages the mitochondrial activities inside the cell to reorganise the old cell.

As we know, mitochondria are the power plant inside our body, so restriction in diet is necessary to keep the power cells in a youthful stage.

7. Improves Skin Texture

The glow of our skin entirely depends on our diet. We often thought that taking healthy and nutritious food is enough to make skin shiner, but fasting also played a vital role in his case.

Fasting improves the collagen tissues, which are responsible to held skin elasticity and glow.

Especially type II diabetes patients lose their skin’s radiance quickly as high blood sugar destroys the collagen structure. By fasting regularly, we can control our sugar level and, as a result, protect our skin.

8. Boost up Immunity

While fasting of our body tends to use the deposited glucose, fat, and ketones to produce energy, and at the same time, it breaks a significant portion of WBC.

If we fast for a long time, our body needs to organise the immune system and regenerate the immunity stem cell began to rejuvenate and create new WBC and thus boost up the immunity power.

Be sure to read: How to Boost your Immune System

9. Reduce Inflammation

During fasting, our body reduces oxidative stress by damaging free radicals. Free radicals are the critical factor of premature ageing and several chronic disorders. The unstable molecules react with protein and DNA and ruin them.

There is scientific evidence that occasional fasting can build up a resistant power to oxidative stress. Apart from this, intermittent fasting helps to reduce inflammation and thus save our bodies from many chronic disorders.

10. Keeps Heart Healthy

Fasting at regular intervals and in a sensible way can keep our hearts healthy. It controls bad cholesterol and blood sugar, both of which are responsible for the weak cardiovascular system.

Heart disease is the most killer in the modern lifestyle, and it gives us no chance to escape. Through fasting and a balanced diet, we can reduce the risk to a great extent.

Fasting side effects Symptoms

Fasting side effects Symptoms
  • Fatigue
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Can cause Lower blood pressure
  • Body functioning may be impaired
  • fasting may be dangerous for a malnourished Person
  • Can cause dehydration
  • Abnormal heart rhythms
  • Mood changes

In Closing

Fasting enhances the urge for proper eating habits at the right time. While our system gets toxic due to overeating and irregular eating patterns, only fasting for a whole day or a few hours can make us feel hungry.

You may take few days or a few months to get accustomed to doing fasting regularly, but once you get the benefits, you will enjoy it from the core of your heart.

So, friends, we hope that after going through the above fasting benefits and side effects symptoms for men and women both will surely help you.

Dr Maria

MD. Board Certified physician. Fellowship In Family Medicine UK. 8 years of medical experience in Lifestyle-related health disorders. Graduated from AIIMS – All India Institute Of Medical Science, INDIA

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