A lot of studies were devoted to looking at the benefits of fasting to increase longevity. The results have been very positive and may reveal the longevity secret you need to increase your lifespan. It could very well be the secret to longevity you are looking for, along with other beneficial lifestyle recommendations.
Although some studies have shown that there may be a limit to how long a human can live, some scientists theorize that the ultimate longevity is still unknown – possibly longer than 122 – the record in modern times. Fasting has been shown in animal studies to increase lifespan by as much as 40 percent.
Scientists seem to agree that the best length of a fast is 12 hours within 24 hours. Doing this for five days a week appears to be ideal for results to be seen.
The reason that it is beneficial is that your metabolism changes and enters a standby mode. During this mode, your body removes the waste at the cellular level and performing some rebuilding tasks. When you eat next, your body is ready to utilize the calories and nutrition more efficiently in that meal.
Eating often prevents your body from making those adjustments that lead to better health. Your metabolism is constantly working and does not have time to rest or get reset. The regeneration and healing phase is reduced during the fast, so it needs to be limited in duration.
The most beneficial way to fast is to reduce calories by about 15 percent during the fasting period. It provides the best health benefits. A prolonged caloric restriction of 20 to 60 percent raises your susceptibility to illnesses such as the flu and intestinal parasites.
While testing the benefits of calorie restriction and intermittent fasting on rodents and humans continues, several benefits have stood out. They include an improvement in sensitivity to insulin, better brain function performance, reduced heart rate, blood pressure, and less oxidative stress and inflammation.
Several clinical trials have shown some additional benefits of intermittent fasting. They include a reduction of several age-related diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental disorders, and some cancers.
Longevity has been shown to increase among people who conduct periods of fasting. The benefits of living longer do not appear, though, unless fasting has been continued for more than five years. This means that if you have not been fasting that you may want to get started soon. People that may be at risk should not begin fasting until after consulting with a doctor or dietician.
Conducting long-term periods of fasting, whether it is a daily 12-hour period or ongoing fasting, is not recommended. Research has shown that prolonged periods of fasting or calorie restriction can have some detrimental effects including the risk of developing gallstones. There appears also to be an increased risk of mortality when fasting regularly for more than 14 hours per day. The positive effects are better when used for short periods in most people.
Besides the longevity diet, exercise is also a very important part of ultimate longevity. It offers tremendous benefits in reducing the risk of many diseases, and it will certainly help to enable you to stay mobile longer. You will also feel better and retain a better body weight.
