The scientific principles of intermittent fasting: fat burning mechanisms and gene repair
**The Science of Intermittent Fasting**
The concept of "intermittent fasting" originated abroad. Scientists have conducted in-depth research on its principles of reducing fat, losing weight, and improving physical condition, and have proposed many related theories, some of which are listed below.
**Intermittent fasting and fat burning**
In simple terms, intermittent fasting involves consuming 500 or 600 calories on two days a week, while avoiding excessive overeating on the other five days. This approach can lead to stable weight loss. Scientists have discovered that when we eat, insulin levels rise, putting the body in a fat-storing mode. Fasting for a few hours shuts down this fat-storing mode and activates the fat-burning mechanism. By regularly engaging in intermittent fasting, the body maintains this fat-burning mechanism, continuously breaking down fat and achieving stable weight loss.
The human body contains a substance called IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1), which promotes the growth of almost all cells in the body. In other words, it keeps cells active at all times. During childhood and development, the body needs an appropriate amount of IGF-1, but if the concentration of IGF-1 remains high in adulthood, it can accelerate aging and increase the incidence of cancer. One of the mechanisms by which intermittent fasting is beneficial to health is that it reduces the production of IGF-1 in adults.
IGF-1 has been proven to be key to many age-related diseases. Scientists studied villagers in Ecuador suffering from Lajun syndrome (also known as Lajun dwarfism), an extremely rare genetic defect with fewer than 350 patients worldwide. Patients with Lajun syndrome have malformed growth hormone receptors and very low levels of IGF-1 in their bodies. They are typically extremely short, many less than 122 centimeters tall, but surprisingly, they do not suffer from common diseases such as diabetes or cancer. In fact, to date, scientists have not found a single patient with Lajun syndrome to have died from cancer.
**Intermittent Fasting and Gene Repair**
Besides lowering IGF-1 levels, fasting can also activate numerous repair genes. The reason is currently unclear, but from an evolutionary perspective, it's speculated that given sufficient food, the body prioritizes physical growth, sexual activity, and reproduction. If you begin fasting, your body's initial reaction is surprise. It then sends signals to the brain, alerting you to hunger and urging you to seek food. However, you resist eating. Next, the body determines that since your food intake and frequency are lower than usual, you are facing a famine.
In the past, famine was common. During a famine, there's no reason to expend energy on growth or sex. The body's wisest choice is to use precious energy for self-repair and maintaining health. As a result, your body stops unnecessary consumption and initiates repair mechanisms at the cellular level, much like taking a car to the repair shop. Scientists believe that most people with a body mass index (BMI) over 25 can benefit from fasting.
**Intermittent Fasting and Cancer Prevention**
Our body cells constantly replicate, replacing dead, old, and damaged tissue. But sometimes cells mutate, grow uncontrollably, and become cancer. High concentrations of hormones like IGF-1, which stimulate cell growth, in the blood can increase the risk of cancer. Therefore, lowering IGF-1 levels through intermittent fasting can help fight cancer.
After cancer progresses, common treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy. The main problem with chemotherapy and radiation therapy is that they not only kill tumor cells but also kill or damage healthy cells surrounding the tumor. Through intermittent fasting, the body's normal cells slow down their growth pace and initiate repair and survival modes, while cancer cells are almost always out of control, selfishly continuing to grow and multiply. Fasting before chemotherapy puts the body's normal cells into a dormant state, while cancer cells spread and become more vulnerable. A scientific study shows that fasting improves the effectiveness of chemotherapy for various cancers and can alleviate some of the digestive discomfort caused by chemotherapy.