Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 176 posts

Re: Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting

#51

Post by evo_9 »

nissarup wrote: post #40
pmccarren wrote: post #36

I highly recommend looking into the work of Dr. Rhonda Patrick, Ph.D. She has extensive material explaining the science behind IF, and many other topics relating to bio pathways and aging. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6KClPkotxM https://www.foundmyfitness.com/

And broccoli sprouts! Don't forget the broccoli sprouts! Jesting aside. She is cool, talks very fast and deliver an awful lot of information in a short time.

And awesome Krill-Oil, too. ;)

Also provided a DNA health check if you want to link your 23andMe account.

Re: Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting

#52

Post by Someone1234 »

throwaway413 wrote: post #44

Fitting to see this during this month, as it is currently the holy month of Ramandan for Muslims, who fast from sunrise to sunset for 30 days.

I wonder if any studies have looked at if Muslims who participate in Ramadan receive any measurable health benefits.

Even if Ramadan is only one month of the year, that could still potentially show some benefits if there are any over a whole life time.

Re: Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting

#53

Post by aviv »

Lol. For years I talk about fasting here on HN and get downvoted to oblivion. Intermittent fasting is what they now say is healthy because it means you're still consuming food so they still make money. A far better alternative and a cure to many many "diseases" (yes, cure, I said it) is a prolonged water fast (10 to 40 days), and/or a dry fast (no food no water) for 2 to 10 days.

Re: Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting

#54

Post by baud147258 »

throwaway413 wrote: post #44

Fitting to see this during this month, as it is currently the holy month of Ramandan for Muslims, who fast from sunrise to sunset for 30 days.

Well, perhaps it's good for the metabolism of my muslim colleague, but right now his productivity is way down. Also I don't the ramandan fasting is particularly good since muslims usually eat a lot during the night to compensate.

Re: Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting

#55

Post by pbhjpbhj »

xeromal wrote: post #38
mnort wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it really doesnt take much to implement an intermittent fasting regimen. one easy way to hit it is to simply move to an 8 hour feeding window, eg 10-6 really taking advantage of the time you are sleeping as 'fasting' time, makes the concept of fasting a lot less daunting

I try to move that around a bit just to avoid feeling hungry when I go to sleep.

Surely you want hunger hitting when you approach sleep, so you maximise the time you're not conscious of the hunger (because you're asleep)?

Re: Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting

#56

Post by kaslai »

I've had serious weight issues for my whole life, primarily due to my love of chocolate. As I approached 400 pounds, I took a hard look at myself and decided to make a change. For the past month (29 days now) I've been doing alternate-day fasting* where I eat about 2000-2500kcal on eat days and cap myself at about 100kcal of half-and-half with coffee on fast days (gotta get that joe).

While a lot of it is no doubt non-lipid mass (glycogen and such), I just passed 30 pounds of mass lost yesterday. After the initial drop from glycogen loss, I've been averaging 0.4-ish pounds a day of mass loss.

A few things I've noticed: What I eat doesn't really affect long-term weight loss. Carbs will cause my weight to rise, but it's definitely just due to the storage and retention of glycogen and water, as I get right back on track with my projections 2-3 days later. However, if I eat carbs and fast the next day, I will get serious hunger pangs. If I eat a mostly keto diet, then I can pass between eat days and fast days with no trouble at all.

My biggest take-away though is that fasting has helped me practice self-denial to the point where I can handle my sweet tooth very easily now. The difference in apparent willpower is so immense that I can hardly believe it myself. I definitely suggest that anyone who has self-control issues with regards to food go on a week of alternate day fasting. Additionally, a fast day is a great way to counter out a day of eating to excess. When I lose my weight, I'll still keep fasting as an option, because it's a remarkably powerful tool.

* It's actually 3 days of fasting, 4 days of eating a week. I do social eating on Fridays and Sundays, so I keep those as fixed eat days, so I just fast on Sat/Mon/Wed, eat on Fri/Sun/Tue/Thu.

Re: Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting

#57

Post by notheguyouthink »

satokema wrote: post #17
avip wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's basically the opposite of science.

No, that is LITERALLY science. You come up with hypotheses and test them. Hypothesis: [Specific diet] will cause no effects on myself, given my unique biochemicalpsycho makeup. Hypothesis: [Specific diet] will cause [list of benefits/mali] for myself, given my unique biochemicalpsycho makeup. etc. Just because it doesn't automatically apply to the population at large does not make it "not science".

Well I imagine what OP meant was that the testing phase in this "science" is not verifiable/repeatable/etc. Perception is an awful way to perform tests, and is very frequently wrong.

Re: Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting

#58

Post by i_cant_speel »

amelius wrote: post #13

Sounds great, but is this compatible with: - bodybuilding - 20 miles daily commute by bicycle - intellectually intense work, e.g. hackathons ?

Yes. Just increase the number of calories you consume during the feeding window.

Re: Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting

#59

Post by pizza »

mnort wrote: post #2

seems to be becoming more and more “scientifically” clear that brains run better on ketones, and burning fat is cleaner for the body

> So the brain is happily deriving energy from ketones – sure, but why would this be protective against such a variety of brain diseases?

> One answer may be energy. Despite their superficial differences, many neurological diseases share one major problem – deficient energy production. During metabolic stress, ketones serve as an alternative energy source to maintain normal brain cell metabolism. In fact, BHB (a major ketone) may be an even more efficient fuel than glucose, providing more energy per unit oxygen used. A ketogenic diet also increases the number of mitochondria, so called “energy factories” in brain cells. A recent study found enhanced expression of genes encoding for mitochondrial enzymes and energy metabolism in the hippocampus, a part of the brain important for learning and memory. Hippocampal cells often degenerate in age-related brain diseases, leading to cognitive dysfunction and memory loss. With increased energy reserve, neurons may be able to ward off disease stressors that would usually exhaust and kill the cell.

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/mind-guest-blog/the-fat...

Re: Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting

#60

Post by not_a_moth »

blunte wrote: post #11

One thing you have to pay attention to while aiming for a 12+ hour gap is that you don't accidentally consume calories in drinks, especially from sugar... so no milk, honey, or sugar in your tea or coffee. A little sugar calories will prevent the switch flip, leaving you in a starvation state where you feel awful and eat your own muscles.

Fyi, I've heard health professionals, like Rhonda Patrick mentioned here, say that coffee and tea will still cause your digestive system to secrete enzymes that can undo IF effects, that you should only drink water during the no-eat window. I've given up my morning caffeine to do it.
Post reply on HN