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Fasting boosts stem cells’ regenerative capacity (2018)

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Re: Fasting boosts stem cells’ regenerative capacity (2018)

#31

This is about intestinal stem cells in specific. And, of course, in mice. (Still noteworthy if you are trying to understand why fasting seems to help with many different ailments.)

Yes fasting has beneficial health effects. A body can can't handle a constant high food intake. I read a lot of research last years about the subject, try search for 'fat inflammation'. Fasting and a more plant based diet seem to reduce chronic inflammation.

Plant based is still under heavy debate, as plants have natural systems (lectins) to protect themselves. We know that veggies are a lot better than a lot of the processed stuff out there, but its a diverse area. A lot of people doing anti-inflammatory elimination diets skip a lot of plants.

Re: Fasting boosts stem cells’ regenerative capacity (2018)

#32
post #21
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fasting is not malnutrition. A typical human even lean one has enough fat to survive without food for 30-40 days without significant loss of lean mass. This sets us quite apart of other animals including apes. One starts to loose lean mass during prolonged calorie deficit which takes months.

But in clinical trials they found that even intermittent fasting leads to LBM loss. > https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2020/10/09/intermittent-fasting-... Considering Body Builders don’t fast, I tend to believe the study.

>Considering Body Builders don’t fast, I tend to believe the study.

There's entire bodybuilding schools (such as LeanGains) that build on intermittent fasting, and its increasingly more common when it comes to cutting fat. Where did you hear this?

Re: Fasting boosts stem cells’ regenerative capacity (2018)

#33
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's something to the whole regenerative thing and fasting. Best I remember feeling in my adult life was after a 60 day fast. Not what I'd do today, or at least not the same way, but I highly recommend every healthy human fast for at least 7 days once every couple years. The plural of anecdote is not evidence, YMMV, consult your doctor, I don't even play one on the internet, etc. That being said, I'm currently on…

So what do you take in those days? Like 60 days fasting. Only water? Vitamins? Salt?

I did water only for the first 30 days, which was stupid, and then supplemented electrolytes -- mainly Sodium, Magnesium, Potassium -- from days 31 onward.

That one was super strict, no coffee, no tea, nothing.

EDIT - Also, this is _not_ how I would go about this now 5+ years later with more experience under my belt.

Re: Fasting boosts stem cells’ regenerative capacity (2018)

#34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did a 7 day fast, and I mostly ended up losing fat. While I did not do any scientific measurement, i was able to exercise the same post the 7 day fast and my belly fat came down big time. Maybe body builders lose lean body mass when they fast, but it does not seem to hold true for the average human.

>Maybe body builders lose lean body mass when they fast Well, highly fit people certainly lose lean body mass when they fast, which you're probably not (even if you're fairly fit) And bodybuilders DON'T lose fat when they fast because they take supraphysiological doses of hormones (steroids) that prevent the body losing muscle - and usually eat protein throughout their fast too. So not a good example.

> eat protein throughout their fast too

Aren't these contradictory? If you eat (protein or otherwise) you're not fasting.

Re: Fasting boosts stem cells’ regenerative capacity (2018)

#35
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Earlier quoted context omitted.

And good for getting rid of lean body mass...

Fasting is not malnutrition. A typical human even lean one has enough fat to survive without food for 30-40 days without significant loss of lean mass. This sets us quite apart of other animals including apes. One starts to loose lean mass during prolonged calorie deficit which takes months.

As I understand it, based on books such as Faster[1] by Michael Hutchinson, it depends on the intensity of what you do.

At low intensity exercise you can just burn just fat.

The body can only get so much energy from fat in a given time, so at higher intensity levels it will try to get energy from both fat and stored carbohydrates.

Once you run out of easily available carbs it will try to supplement energy from the next available store, which is protein. i.e. muscle.

So this will happen well before you run out of body fat.

You can apparently increase the amount of base energy you can get from fat by training cell mitochondria with lots of low internet exercise.

Eg lots and lots of zone 1 or 2 on the Coggan zone system.

1. http://www.michaelhutchinson.co.uk/faster.html

Re: Fasting boosts stem cells’ regenerative capacity (2018)

#36
post #22

It's such a shame that there isn't more research in this area. There are so many seemingly wondrous effects on human health that would need thourugh testing. Apart from physiological benefits though, the mental aspect of fasting from my own experience can be quite exciting as well. A 7 day fast was the longest I did so far, but 72h really hit the sweet spot for me. It was like a journey through my mind, I got challen…

I really think a 7 day fast should be 'mandatory reading' as far as life experience goes. You learn a lot about yourself.

Also echo the mental clarity side of fasting. The weight loss was great, but how I felt was even better.

The crazy thing is, if you can get to 7 days, anything past that is just mental and you can go as long as you have the body fat to sustain the fast, provided you're keeping an eye on your electrolytes and not drinking too much water.

Re: Fasting boosts stem cells’ regenerative capacity (2018)

#38
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So what do you take in those days? Like 60 days fasting. Only water? Vitamins? Salt?

I did water only for the first 30 days, which was stupid, and then supplemented electrolytes -- mainly Sodium, Magnesium, Potassium -- from days 31 onward. That one was super strict, no coffee, no tea, nothing. EDIT - Also, this is _not_ how I would go about this now 5+ years later with more experience under my belt.

Wait what? English is not my native language, are you saying you didn't eat any food for 30 consecutive days??

Re: Fasting boosts stem cells’ regenerative capacity (2018)

#39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did water only for the first 30 days, which was stupid, and then supplemented electrolytes -- mainly Sodium, Magnesium, Potassium -- from days 31 onward. That one was super strict, no coffee, no tea, nothing. EDIT - Also, this is _not_ how I would go about this now 5+ years later with more experience under my belt.

Wait what? English is not my native language, are you saying you didn't eat any food for 30 consecutive days??

60 days as I understood - first 30 days just water and then the next 30 days water with electrolytes
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