Interesting news…intermittent fasting with water might just bring down your heart disease risks and chances of developing diabetes according to work presented at this year’s scientific sessions of the American College of Cardiology. The research was conducted in Salt Lake City where two thirds of the population are Mormons who fast one day every month in observance of their faith.
Interesting that heart disease rates are consistently lowest in the state of Utah. Until recently, many experts attributed this to the teaching of the Mormon Church that discourages smoking by members. But as smoking rates have dropped across the U.S., Utah continues to have a heart disease rate that is lower than the rest.
In earlier work, the same research team found that subjects who answered “yes” the to question, “Do you abstain from food and drink for an extended time?” had less heart disease. The latest study sought to reproduce and expand upon these earlier results, to see if this might be the reason for the lower heart disease risk.
A companion study that was presented at the ACC meeting, the researchers examined blood markers for heart risks among those who hadn’t fasted over the last 12 hours. The markers were checked when the subjects fasted and during a normal day of eating. The fasts were water only, though participants could take any necessary medication.
During the fast, the HDL (good) cholesterol rose, as did LDL (bad) cholesterol and total cholesterol numbers – not favorable to be sure, but the researchers believe the rise may be temporary. But, participants also saw reductions in dangerous blood fats known as triglycerides, as well as blood sugar levels. When you fast, the body goes into a self-protection mode to preserve the integrity of cells and tissue, using fats instead of sugars for fuel.
There are lots of questions to answer before anyone will suggest fasting as a treatment for heart disease. Researchers do know that those who fast have a lower prevalence of diabetes and heart disease, but just how this works will need more study before we can say for certain.
You’ve probably heard about fasts… juice fasts are popular on the internet. But comparing a water only fast to a juice fast is not a fair comparison. While they might provide a benefit to your heart, as shown in animal studies, the benefit is not as strong as the water only fasting.
Continues below…
*Highly Recommended*
The “secret” to losing belly fat…
You’ve been lied to. Lied to by the fitness magazines, lied to by the government and lied to by the food industry.
Lies such as…
-> You need to eat “low calorie” to lose fat
-> You should do long, slow cardio to put your body in the “fat burning zone”
-> You should eat plenty of whole grains to stay healthy and lean
-> Losing fat is a slow & steady process
Well Vic Magary who is one of the go to fat loss experts just put up a video exposing all of these myths…
Vic is a former Army soldier and he knows what works and what doesn’t – and spills all of his biggest secrets in the video…
Click through now and check out this free video and discover the secret to losing stubborn belly fat…
*Disclosure: compensated affiliate*
Cut Risk Of Heart Disease and Diabetes With This Technique… Continued…
You should also know that fasting isn’t for everyone. Young children, pregnant or nursing mothers and those with certain health conditions should not do this. If you’re not sure, talk with your doctor to see if a water only fast is safe for you. One of the other dangers is that a fast might prompt binge eating that destroys any healthy benefits you might have gotten.
Of course, Suzanne Steinbaum, MD, director of women and heart disease at New York’s Lenox Hill Hospital says that while not eating will decrease certain numbers, doing something to extreme is not the best choice. What you eat, day in and day out, has far more impact on your heart disease risks than a single day event. Another thing, intermittent fasting isn’t a magic potion or quick fix… it’s a lifestyle choice that becomes a part of your life. Not just for a while, but over the long term.
