I always love to get into the science behind whatever diet schemes I’m trying out and experimenting with on myself. Intermittent fasting is something that I’ve been doing for quite some time.
Intermittent fasting is something that hit the mainstream a few years ago as “an easy way to lose fat.”
While I don’t consider that statement to be far from the truth, I think that it can mislead people into thinking that IF (intermittent fasting) is some sort of “magical diet pill.”
IF is certainly not such a magic diet pill. It’s a way of restricting the eating window for your body and allowing it to “switch gears” so to speak.
I like to think of the effects of IF as being like gears in a car. When you go extended periods of time without eating, your body will recognize the fact that it’s not getting any nutrition and, unsure of when then next meal will come your body will switch gears and implement new “strategies” to protect itself.
One of these “strategies” or mechanisms, if you will, is called Autophagy.
Autophagy and Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting has been shown in several studies to promote autophagy - a sort of cellular cleansing process that breaks down and recycles cells in your body.
When you’re eating or have eaten recently, your insulin spikes. Insulin is what aids the body in breaking down nutrients in food. Autophogy has an inverse relationship with insulin and thus, when insulin spikes after a meal, Autophogy is lowered.
However, when you’re in a fasted state, your insulin drops and autophagy drastically increases - some studies suggest that it increases as much as 500%.
High rates of autophagy are typically seen in younger organisms. As the organism ages, the levels of autophagy decrease as well which allows for the accumulation of cellular damage. IF has the ability to give higher rates of autophagy even to older individuals - almost like drinking from the well of youth (at least, that’s how I like to think of it).
Low-carb diets also help the body to spike insulin even less after meals (high-carb meals result in HUGE insulin spikes).
This means that someone who practices both eating low-carb and intermittent fasting can enjoy even better benefits of autophagy and insulin sensitivity.
Exercising is yet another aspect. People who regularly exercise have higher insulin sensitivity which allows for yet another driver behind greater autophagy and lower insulin levels.