How do you get electrolytes during a fast?
You don't need to consume any. For a normal water fast where you don't exercise, everything you need is taken from the liver and fat.
Fasting triggers stem cell regeneration of damaged, old immune system (2014)
51–60 of 175 posts
Re: Fasting triggers stem cell regeneration of damaged, old immune system (2014)
#52Tim Ferriss has poked at the positive effects of intermittent fasting on cancer/health/longevity a bit. I found this interview with Dominic D'Agostino very informative: http://fourhourworkweek.com/2015/11/03/dominic-dagostino/ Also: http://fourhourworkweek.com/2008/03/02/postponing-death-calo...
Sounds good,
how old is he?
80? 90?
Re: Fasting triggers stem cell regeneration of damaged, old immune system (2014)
#53Would this help with gum disease?
Somewhat off topic, but a few friends now seem to have great success using Oil Pulling to combat gum disease so might be worth looking into (obviously keep brushing/flossing etc). I've started doing it on my drive to work which has the added bonus of stopping me smoking as much.
Re: Fasting triggers stem cell regeneration of damaged, old immune system (2014)
#54Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have fasted for approximately a week on 4 different occasions and interestingly enough the 72 hours that you mentioned are indeed the hardest. For me personally it started getting easier at that specific 72 hour mark. In regards to the multiple 24 hours fast I was wondering the same thing reading this article. Although I think it might not work because of the white blood cells regenerating.
I don't think that's fasting any more, sounds more like starvation, to me.
No, hunger disappears around day 3, then returns with a vengeance shortly before death, which can be up to 3 months later. This second burst of hunger is actual starvation.
Re: Fasting triggers stem cell regeneration of damaged, old immune system (2014)
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
Ingesting anything will ruin the fast. Even brushing your teeth becomes tricky, as toothpaste can ruin everything. I ended up using a salt water solution (and an electric tooth brush) to do the job, but in hindsight, I could've used something like ToothSoap. It's extremely important to rinse the mouth thoroughly, so you don't swallow anything. It is possible to run low on vitamins (depending on how long you go). If i…
and whats wrong with eating too much - I understand that you say breaking the fast is important ... but why?
I don't know any of the science behind it, but it's my understanding that during long periods of not eating, metabolism gradually slows to a crawl to allow maximum duration from the amount of 'energy' available in the body.
I'd wager it gradually ramps back up again once food is reintroduced, and overeating during this period could probably lead to some pretty hefty weight gain.
Re: Fasting triggers stem cell regeneration of damaged, old immune system (2014)
#56Do they literally mean zero intake of calories for 72 hours? That sounds like a long time. How do you prepare for that nutrition wise and mentally? People eat at night during the ramadan.
It's not that hard. If you're going to do three days you might as well do a little longer. It takes around three days to switch to ketosis, after which hunger disappears. I did a week with just a sense of determination and knowledge of what to expect, and my relationship with food improved immensely.
Re: Fasting triggers stem cell regeneration of damaged, old immune system (2014)
#57Although I haven't attempted this myself, I have seen many people attempt to endure a 72 hours fast (as part of diagnosing a potential pheochromocytoma) and the majority experience this as extremely difficult. I wonder if multiple shorter fasts — e.g., a 24 hours fast once a week — could be as beneficial.
I don't like doing shorter fasts because you only experience the worst part of them. The first 3-4 days are the worst and then everything clears (pre-existing conditions in skin/joints/intestine, mind fogginess, etc). Going out of the fast is a good time to experiment with food/situations and see what could be causing some of the issues you've been experiencing (if any).
I usually go for a 7-day water fast twice a year (and just completed one a few weeks ago). The results are obvious to me. YMMV.
Mandatory warning: I'm not a doctor and this is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor.
Re: Fasting triggers stem cell regeneration of damaged, old immune system (2014)
#58I tried searching for the original article, but this is the closest I could find that had a better writeup than from the telegraph: https://news.usc.edu/63669/fasting-triggers-stem-cell-regene... This is the most relevant summary: "In both mice and a Phase 1 human clinical trial involving patients receiving chemotherapy, long periods of not eating significantly lowered white blood cell counts. In mice, fasting cycles…
> So, mice, and people undergoing chemotherapy. Not exactly (for those who have had friends and relatives ever had to undergo chemotherapy, you will understand what I mean) the common population. Why would it be any different for the "common population"? > I'll pass on this intermittent fasting "fad" for now! Fad? It's being around for millennia for.
>Why would it be any different for the "common population"?
Because the "common population" does not have half their blood replaced by burning chemicals every week.
>Fad? It's being around for millennia for.
And for millenia, many people thought the Earth was flat, the age of a belief doesn't validate that belief.
Re: Fasting triggers stem cell regeneration of damaged, old immune system (2014)
#59> When you starve, the system tries to save energy, and one of the things it can do to save energy is to recycle a lot of the immune cells that are not needed, especially those that may be damaged That's remarkable news. I'm waiting to see the counter-arguments though. Fasting for 3 days seems like stretching the limits a bit. Also it seems to imply that these 3days periods are repeatable over the course of a few mon…
It is indeed a fascinating discovery. BTW, fasting for more than three days sounds crazy but can be surprisingly easy.
Re: Fasting triggers stem cell regeneration of damaged, old immune system (2014)
#60In my own experience day 3 of a water fast had profound effect on my health. I have some health issues so I closely monitor my blood pressure and blood sugar. On the morning of the fourth day my blood pressure and blood sugar would drop tremendously and stay normal for several months. ymmv
We are missing a lot of context - much of which you can't supply here even if you wanted to. For example, it seems entirely plausible and not exactly rocket science that not eating the wrong foods (for a given person - what "wrong" means may vary widely and wildly depending on their context!) is better than eating it. For an example (of the example), if you eat a lot of high glycemic index foods it's not hard to guess why your blood sugar is doing better without it.
This is the problem with all those reports from people who say they are doing so much better during a fast.