New Research Reveals the Benefits of the Fasting Diet

There are numerous medical studies that have showed the benefits of the fasting diet. Some of these benefits include lower blood pressure, a healthy weight loss and a lower level of bad cholesterol.

Some nutrition experts believe that intermittent fasting, which means reducing the quantity of food and drink daily, or abstaining oneself from eating and drinking, can have beneficial effects on our health, which makes it one of the most popular diets used by many worldwide.

Many believe that 5:2 Fat Diet is the most efficient intermittent fasting diet at the moment. This diet involves consuming a recommended amount of calories for five days a week, while reducing the calorie intake by 25% for the rest of the week to 600 calories a day for men and 500 calories for women.

Dr. Michael Mosley, the writer of The Fast Diet book, explained that keeping this diet not only helps people lose weight, but it’s also full of health benefits. Dr. Mosley adds that several studies suggest that keeping an intermittent fasting diet improves cholesterol levels, blood pressure and insulin sensitivity.

A study conducted in 2014 and published in the Medical News Today shows that periodic fasting can reduce the risk of diabetes in people who are susceptible to this condition. The intermittent fasting in this study consisted of drinking only water one day of the week.

In another study, conducted by a team of scientists from the University of Southern California led by Dr. Valter Longo, found that fasting for 2 to 4 days a week can even ameliorate the immune system. According to the researchers, the fasting diet helped the patients get rid of the old immune cells, allowing new one to regenerate. This process could protect patients against cell damage which could be the result of aging or chemotherapy.

Dr. Razeen Mahroof, researcher at the University of Oxford, explained that the fasting diet may also help the body detoxify by dissolving and removing the toxins that are stored in the fat of the body. Also, when fasting, the brain releases a higher level of endorphin, which is the “happy” hormone, helping the one who keeps the diet feel better.
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