Consequences of fasting. Health benefits of intermittent fasting

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Fasting is perhaps the most natural and ancient way human treatment. The fasting technique is described in the Bible by Jesus Christ himself. Very detailed information The effects of fasting on the body are discussed in Vedic literature, as well as in the treatises of Tibetan doctors. Ancient specialists used fasting for a dual purpose: to improve physical health, and, equally important, to achieve spiritual perfection. Moreover, the sages of India and China believed that periodic abstinence from food is the main method in achieving these goals.

Fasting is a voluntary refusal of any food, and in “dry fasting” also from water, for a certain period of time in order to cleanse the body, get rid of diseases or spiritual improvement. At the same time, the timing of fasting must be chosen so that this process does not lead to exhaustion of the body and the onset of irreversible processes.

Our ancestors were observant people and noticed that all animals, when sick, begin, first of all, to starve. Most likely, these observations became the first impetus in the development of the science of therapeutic fasting.

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The effect of fasting on the human body

Therapeutic fasting has a positive effect not only on the physical body and internal organs, but also on the energetic and spiritual essence of a person. Many authors point out that the main result after fasting is precisely an increase in the level of consciousness, and an improvement physical body- secondary. However, most people begin to fast in order to get rid of diseases, so we will dwell on this aspect in more detail.

The effects of fasting on human field fitness

Fasting has a twofold effect on the field form of human life: it trains the vital force of the body, while the field form is renewed and restored and the consciousness is cleared of pathogenic psychological pressures.

The effect of fasting on human mental abilities and intuition

Man, with all his energy structures, is immersed in the information and energy “ocean of the Universe”. Whatever happens in the world and in the Universe, it immediately affects human energy. The signal of this modification, in order to be conscious, must reach the level of the mind, which will be expressed in intuitive insight. But due to the fact that the field and energy level of a person is constantly distorted by psychological clamps, which “signal” more strongly, clogging the information signals of the Universe, most people have poorly developed intuition and insight. Thanks to fasting, human field structures are cleansed and sensitivity to the processes occurring in the Universe increases.

The effect of fasting on the physical body

As soon as a person completely refuses food, his body begins to consume stored reserves and secondary tissues. Split nutrients and tissues during hunger leads to the accumulation of their breakdown products inside the body. As a result, the body’s pH quickly shifts to the acidic side (acidosis), but this acidification does not go beyond the physiological norm.

Acidosis during hunger is the first and most important physiological mechanism that causes the activation of a chain of other healing processes that are dormant during food intake.

Acidification of the internal environment of the body leads to the launch of tissue dissolution processes (autolysis). It turns out that in an acidic environment, phagocytes and some enzymes are activated, the function of which is to destroy weakened own tissue and foreign things in the body. Scientists have indisputably established that first of all, pathological and painfully altered tissue of the human body is destroyed: adhesions, hematomas, edema, tumors, pathogenic microorganism and so on.

In turn, the processes of autolysis trigger a mechanism for cleansing the body of toxins, weakened and pathologically altered tissue. Due to the breakdown of the tissue, the toxins contained in it are released and removed from the body, and the modified tissue is destroyed.

During fasting for 36 hours, phagocyte activity can triple. Besides scientific fact It is important to know that phagocyte activity fluctuates depending on the time of year. Phagocytes are most active in May - June, and most active in November - February. It follows that for the high-quality destruction of foreign substances in the body, it is best to fast for a long time in May - June.

It is also important to note the fact that with increasing temperature, enzyme activity increases. The use of heating during fasting significantly increases the processes of autolysis and the healing effect of hunger.

Physiological rest of organs

Fasting significantly reduces the load on many organs, which makes it possible to restore damaged body structures and their functions. The heart rests during hunger, the stomach and digestive tract are strengthened, internal organs work with minimal load, which allows them to recover.

Fasting causes an increase in metabolism in the first 30 - 40 days after fasting by 5 - 6%. After hunger, food is absorbed better and metabolism normalizes.

The modern human body cannot function normally due to the large amount of unnecessary substances in the internal organs. These are the so-called slags. Unfortunately, the body under normal living conditions cannot get rid of them on its own. In this case, fasting comes to the rescue. During the period of abstinence from food, the body itself (since nothing distracts it) manages to deal with foreign substances accumulated in the internal organs. Some of them are processed into energy, and some are naturally excreted from the body.

There are three types of toxins that poison our body

1. Slags formed during natural metabolism. These are usually under-oxidized food components. For example, by-products of protein metabolism: urea, uric acid, creatinine, ammonium salts. Similar components are formed during carbohydrate and fat metabolism. Ideally, this should not happen - our metabolism is designed in such a way that it must completely digest new food. IN real life this doesn't happen because the right combination food products, incorrect sequence when eating, as well as heavy consumption of food in the evening. Over time, these undigested foods settle in the internal organs, disrupting their functioning.

2. Slags formed by foreign substances. Our modern food is far from natural and natural. IN Food Industry used great amount food additives designed to make products tastier, more durable and more attractive in appearance. In the production of bread, flour whiteners and dough leavening agents are used. In the manufacture of shelf-stable products (sausage, ham, canned food) - preservatives, substances that improve appearance products. Carbonated drinks contain colorings and flavor substitutes. Nowadays, all foods contribute to the formation of toxins in the body.

People use a lot of " hidden salt" Even if you absolutely do not salt food, salt enters the body along with semi-finished products in excess quantities. It causes increased thirst, swelling, kidney function becomes difficult. The remains of medications and artificial vitamins, which many people eat regularly, heavily pollute the body.

3. Old and dead cells of our body. Tissues and organs are constantly renewed, new cells are born in place of old cells. Some of the dead cells are utilized (excreted naturally or processed), and some remains inside the organs in the form of ballast. They interfere with the functioning of individual organs and the entire body as a whole.

Various types of waste pollute the entire body, including various organs and tissues this is expressed in different ways.

Connective tissue - permeates the entire body. It acts as an intermediary between the blood and organ cells, so it is the first to become contaminated. Outwardly, this appears as loss of flexibility, lumbago, and muscle pain. After fasting connective tissue cleanses itself and all these problems go away. Even without special training, the flexibility of muscles and joints increases.

In the cavities of the nose, head, lungs waste products of protein and starch nature accumulate. It leads to frequent colds, sore throats, sinusitis, headaches, blurred vision. Therapeutic fasting very effectively eliminates this kind of toxins, which leads to relief from the listed diseases.

Leather the most powerful and important organ for removing toxins from our body. The skin excretes 3 times more waste than the intestines and bladder combined. If the skin is greasy, acne-prone, or pimply, this indicates that the body is full of toxins. Thanks to fasting, skin functions and its appearance are normalized. Skin respiration improves, pores are cleaned, and immunity increases.

Liver and gallbladder They can be cleansed very well by fasting. It is these organs that first take the hit of poor quality food. Waxy stones form in them, and as a result, metabolism in the body is disrupted, stagnation occurs venous circulation. After fasting, when these organs are cleansed, hair and nails grow better, body weight normalizes, vision and memory improve.

Colon the same suffers greatly from toxins. Literally deposits of food debris accumulate in it, this all disrupts intestinal motility and is stored there long years. Once in the blood, waste products poison the body. This is expressed in bad, foul breath, in the appearance of acne and pimples on the skin. Fasting is very good for cleansing the intestines and natural relief from many diseases.

The cardiovascular system suffers greatly when the body is contaminated. Blood clots and plaques appear in the blood vessels, which leads to sclerosis, thrombosis, and heart attack. Fasting eliminates the root cause of these problems - blood vessels are cleansed and the elasticity of the walls increases. The risk of circulatory problems is greatly reduced.

Blood also suffers greatly from toxins. As a result, we feel anxious, tense, nervous, and so on. After fasting, a person’s mood and attitude towards life improves.

Who should fasting be generally contraindicated for?

Women during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

If a person is immobilized due to an advanced disease (tuberculosis, cancer).

For serious mental disorders.

Extensive suppurative processes of internal organs (abscesses, gangrene).

As we see with most people, you can and should fast. The process of therapeutic fasting itself consists of 3 stages.

Preparing for fasting. This period lasts about a week before the fast begins. During this time, eat only plant foods. Avoid artificial (cakes, pastries, candies) and mixed foods (sandwiches, shawarma, potatoes with meat). It is very good to visit the steam room several times to warm up the body, then the toxins will be easier to remove. If this is not possible, take a warm bath.

A 24 hour fast should begin after a light breakfast and before the next breakfast. During this period, you can only drink water.

A 36-hour fast should begin after a light dinner, continue night, day, night and end with breakfast. During this period, you can only drink water.

Breaking out of fasting

Exit from 24 and 36 hour fasting. Take a crust of bread and rub it with garlic, chew it and spit it out. This procedure will cleanse your tongue and activate your stomach. The first dish is carrot and cabbage salad, you can season it lemon juice. The second course is stewed vegetables (cabbage, beets). You should not overcome hunger by overloading your stomach with potatoes, meat and other difficult-to-digest foods. It is very useful to drink carrot or apple juice on the day you break fast. You should not break fast by eating meat, milk, cheese, butter, fish, as well as nuts and seeds. If you overcome hunger with carrot or apple juice, this will cause relaxation and additionally cleanse the liver and gallbladder of old bile.

The effectiveness and your well-being during fasting depends very much on when you fast. 24 and 36 hour fasting is best done at 11 and 25 lunar days. This will give maximum results for the body.

The main information is taken from the books of G. P. Malakhov.

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Improved health and well-being as a result of giving up harmful foods provokes many people to begin therapeutic fasting. The developed methods are designed for quick cleansing. What are the benefits and harms of fasting for the body - depends on the chosen technique, strict adherence to the stages of the procedure, individual characteristics person.

Effect on the body

Together with the products, the body receives energy intended for growth and cell renewal. Useful material, obtained from food, remove toxins and toxic compounds from the body. But some products are not beneficial and accumulate in the form of harmful deposits, which are difficult to remove.

Healing fasting involves complete failure from food. With the help of the procedure, the body gets rid of harmful substances. The lack of food forces the body to look for an alternative source of nutrition from fat and carbohydrate reserves.

First, dead cells are consumed, then sick cells - unadapted to life. As a result, only full-fledged healthy tissue remains. Internal self-purification of toxins, poisons, tumors, adhesions and harmful compounds occurs.

The benefits of therapeutic fasting

Food restriction has pros and cons. Practice can prolong youth and increase the number of years of life. Benefits of fasting:

A short period of fasting will be useful for bronchial asthma, hormonal cycle disorders, neuropsychiatric diseases, pathologies of the heart and blood vessels, metabolic failure.
Therapeutic fasting one day a week helps cleanse organs, increase biological age. The method not only helps to reduce weight, but also reduces blood pressure, treats autoimmune diseases, arthritis, atherosclerosis, improves vision.
During treatment, nitrates leave the body, chemical substances and elements of pharmaceutical drugs taken continuously. The work of the brain is unloaded, mental performance and physical activity increase.
The functioning of the entire organ system improves, which leads to the mobilization of the body's strength, lowering cholesterol and sugar levels. During the fast, the production of a corticosteroid (hormone of the adrenal cortex) is provoked, which has anti-inflammatory properties and heals many diseases.
A short-term break in nutrition allows you to quickly lose weight by burning fat cells. At first, fat will disappear rapidly - up to 2.5 kg per day, then the pace will slow down, the amount of weight lost will depend on physiological characteristics bodies.
The correct consistent approach to the technique allows the organs to function normally even after an absolute refusal to eat.
With the help of hunger acute and chronic pancreatitis. The therapy takes the load off the pancreas, allowing the organ to rest and regain strength.
Long-term fasting (over 20 days) has a positive effect on potency. Unloading therapy is used in the treatment of prostate adenoma and chronic form prostatitis.
After passing a one-day fast, the quality and quantity of food consumed is reevaluated. Throughout life, the stomach is tuned to three meals a day, regardless of the presence of appetite and calories burned per day. Food abstinence teaches you to truly assess your need for food, developing the habit of eating fewer portions and healthy diet. Periodic practice allows you to avoid overeating in the future.

Harm of therapy

A person reacts differently to the lack of food; in addition to the benefits it brings, fasting can also cause harm. You should understand how necessary the procedure is to avoid further undesirable consequences.

In the case of a mandatory hunger strike, the procedure is performed under the supervision of a doctor, but self-medication should not be done. Let's look at the most common harm you may encounter:

How to fast properly without harm to the body

Whatever the purpose of the hunger strike - weight loss, cleansing or rejuvenation, you should start with the preparation stage. The mistake of many is a sudden transition to a long stage of hunger without preliminary short intervals. Not eating for long periods of time changes performance digestive organs, slowing down the production of enzymes and gastric juice.

Regardless of the hour limit, duration, or method of implementation, a preparatory stage must be present in order to minimize the upcoming stress and prevent hunger breakdown. You should enter the system gradually and also end with the correct exit.

Initially, the lack of food should not exceed 24 days. Once the habit is developed, you can increase the course to a two-day or three-day interval, then move on to a 7-day and two-week interval.

There are several methods of fasting:

Water. Preparation begins taking into account the exclusion of animal proteins, bread, and sweet foods from the diet the day before the first day of abstinence. Portion sizes are reduced as much as possible, eating only plant foods. To quickly adapt, do an enema with salt water at night, and drink a glass of liquid on an empty stomach in the morning. During the process of abstinence, any food is prohibited, only drinking clean water is allowed whenever you want to eat.
Dry. The practice of dry fasting involves the prohibition of liquids and food. The methodology is quite rigid, sometimes based on a cascade approach. Contact with liquid is prohibited, which depletes water reserves. Therefore, the methodology is contraindicated for people without experience and preliminary preparation. It will be useful to include massages, gymnastic exercises, walks in the fresh air, and psychotherapeutic sessions in therapy.

The final stage - exit, is equivalent to the time of the hunger strike. During this period, the secretion of the pancreas is quite weak, so as not to burden the digestive system, it comes out smoothly. The diet includes vegetable and cereal products. For the first week, drink freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices diluted with water.

Drinks made from apples, oranges, carrots, and tomatoes are healthy. In subsequent weeks, the pulp is added to the juice. From the third week, cereals (rice, buckwheat), steamed vegetables without adding salt and oil are allowed. Prohibited: fish, meat, flour dishes, spices, sweets.

What is the most beneficial period of fasting?

How long you will have to abstain from food depends on the initial reason that prompted you to start the process. 1-2 days are enough for cleansing. You can achieve weight loss after 7 days. For beginners, alternating hungry and ordinary days in a week.

Long hunger strikes are allowed only under the guidance of doctors. Optimal time If you need to “clean up” and lose extra pounds, it is considered 10 days. IN medicinal purposes Therapy is carried out from the 21st day; in advanced cases of the disease, it is allowed to extend the period to 30 days or more.

Official medicine recognizes fasting as a health benefit dietary therapy, promoting longevity. Despite positive reviews from doctors, this method is not suitable for everyone. If your health worsens, you should choose a more comfortable method of treatment.

In this article you will find information from Mark Mattson, current director of the neuroscience laboratory at the National Institute on Aging. Mattson is also a professor of neurobiology, he teaches at the prestigious Johns Hopkins University and is one of the leading researchers in the field of molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying many neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease.

Pharmaceutical companies

This article will also focus on pharmaceutical companies, since last years Dozens of cases of manipulation of data published in research reports have been associated with them. That's why the presenters world scientists they say that today medical profession as such, has been bought by pharmaceutical companies, that the scientific literature currently published does not contain the truth, that the pharmaceutical industry likes to portray itself as a research-based source of innovative medicines - but this is the biggest lie. That's why researcher and scientist John Ioannidis wrote an article called "Why Most Published Research Findings Are Fake?" and it became the most read article in the history of the Public Library of Science.

What is the connection between the pharmaceutical industry and fasting?

What relation pharmaceutical companies have to do with this topic? Mark Mattson himself notes: “Why is it considered normal for a person to have three meals a day and snacks? This isn't the healthiest eating pattern, but you'll find plenty of research to back it up. There is serious pressure regarding similar nutrition, and there is a lot of money involved in this issue. Will the food industry profit from you skipping your breakfast? No, they will lose money. When people voluntarily begin to engage in therapeutic fasting, the food industry suffers losses. What about the pharmaceutical industry? What would happen if people fasted periodically, exercised, and became incredibly healthy? Can the pharmaceutical industry make money from healthy people?”

Therapeutic fasting

Mark and other scientists working with him have authored several publications that discuss the issue of fasting twice a week and how this approach can significantly reduce a person's likelihood of developing Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. It has long been known that dietary changes can have effects on the brain. Those children who suffer from epilepsy have seen a reduction in seizures when their calorie intake is restricted or they begin fasting. It is generally accepted that the process of fasting can become an activator, allowing the activation of protective functions that can serve as a counteract to signals of overexcitation (these can be sent by the brain of a patient with epilepsy). Some children also benefited from a low-carb, high-fat diet. Normal brain When you eat too much, you may experience another kind of uncontrollable agitation, which impairs its functionality.

Effects of fasting on the brain

Simply put, if you look at the studies on calorie restriction, many of them show increased life expectancy as well as improved resistance to chronic disease. “Restricting calorie intake can significantly improve life expectancy as well as slow the progression of age-related chronic diseases in many species, including mice, rats, fish, worms, flies and even yeast. The mechanisms by which this occurs are: this moment remain unknown." This quote was published approximately ten years ago, and now you can understand exactly how mechanisms work that were previously unknown.

Positive changes in the brain

Fasting has a positive effect on the brain, and this can be seen in all the beneficial neurochemical changes that happen to this organ when you fast. It also improves cognitive function, increases neurotrophic factors, improves resistance to stress, and also weakens inflammatory processes. Fasting is a challenge for your brain, and your brain accepts this challenge by adapting the way it responds to stress, which helps you cope with stress later and reduces the likelihood of illness. The same changes that occur in the brain during fasting can also be observed with regular physical activity. Both processes increase the amount of protein produced in the brain (neurotrophic factors), and this provokes the growth of neurons, strengthens the connection between them, and makes synapses stronger.

Challenged

“The challenges you give your brain, whether it's intermittent fasting or active physical exercise, are cognitive challenges. When this happens, neural circuits are activated, levels of neurotrophic factors increase, which provokes the growth of neurons, as well as the formation and strengthening of synapses,” Mattson himself said. Fasting can also stimulate the production of new nerve cells from stem cells located in the hippocampus. Mattson mentions ketones (the energy source of neurons) and how fasting stimulates their production, as well as how fasting can increase the number of mitochondria in neurons. The increase in the number of mitochondria in nerve cells occurs as a result of the neurons adapting to the stress caused by fasting (namely, by producing more mitochondria). With an increase in the number of these organelles in neurons, the ability of nerve cells to form and maintain connections among themselves increases, thereby improving a person’s learning ability and memory.

Revival of cells

Mattson also states that intermittent fasting increases the ability of nerve cells to regenerate DNA, and also develops the evolutionary aspect of his theory. It lies in the fact that the distant ancestors of people adapted in such a way that they could live for long periods without food. The study showed that cycles of prolonged fasting help protect the immune system from damage, as well as trigger its restoration when there is a lack of function. Scientists have concluded that fasting shifts stem cells from a dormant state to a state of self-repair. And this, in turn, starts the process of regeneration of an organ or system, based on the use of stem cells. There were even clinical researches involving patients who were undergoing chemotherapy. Patients went for long periods of time without eating, which significantly reduced the number of white blood cells in their blood. In mice, fasting cycles “flipped the regenerative switch,” altering the signaling pathways of hematopoietic stem cells, which are responsible for blood production and immune system function. This means that fasting kills old and damaged immune system cells. As a result, the body uses stem cells to create completely new and healthy immune system cells.

Outstanding results

Mattson states that he could not even imagine that fasting could lead to such an outstanding result - triggering the regeneration of the hematopoietic system based on stem cells. When you're fasting, the body tries to conserve energy, and one of the things it can do is process a large number of immune system cells that are not needed, especially those that have been damaged.

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Fasting: many have encountered this method of losing weight, because they so want to be slim and attractive. Especially young girls are ready to do anything because of a thin waist, without even thinking about the consequences, and they can be disastrous. Let's look at this topic in more detail so that you can maintain your health while striving for a slim figure.

One-time fasting is fasting days when a person consumes only water or lactic acid products (kefir). It is usually carried out once a week, it does not cause much harm, but you will not be able to lose weight, this is a fact.

The effect of fasting on the body Fasting for more long term, more than one day - this is where problems can appear, and quite serious ones. Many today have heard, and some have resorted to, methods of absolute fasting, which supposedly cure all diseases. Over the first few days, a person loses about half a kilogram per day, then a very sharp need and palpability of a lack of vital energy appears. important elements. The person’s condition worsens, the body, not receiving food from the outside, begins to withdraw it from the inside, muscles weaken and begin to ache, the skin loses its elasticity, and wrinkles appear. Nausea also appears during fasting, and other unpleasant consequences.

There is a misconception that in the absence of food, our body begins to work according to a new scheme that will cure all ailments. Here a counter question arises: why then, after a long fast, does a person need a considerable period of time to restore strength and health?

The harm of fasting is the risk of overeating

If you after a long time deadline fasting ate right away large amount of food, then you need to induce vomiting and immediately rinse the stomach. After carrying out the above measures, it is necessary to resume exiting according to the usual pattern. If you overeat later, then do a one-day fast and continue eating the right foods.

The harm of fasting is the formation of edema and urinary retention

This is a very common complication. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that during fasting the body intensively consumes potassium, and eating salt-containing food in the first day after fasting provokes the accumulation of sodium in the cells and, as a result, water. The formation of edema and urinary retention can be observed in beginning fasters, and even after proper recovery from a long fast. The first signs of harm from fasting - active gain of lost weight, which is accompanied by a decrease in the amount of urine, swelling of the face and limbs.

Once such symptoms are identified, you need to act quickly. Straightaway exclude salt and salt-containing products, make cleansing enema. Medications containing potassium and visiting a sauna are very helpful, as sweat removes unnecessary sodium and water from the body.

The harm of fasting is frequent constipation

This phenomenon is not uncommon among fasting enthusiasts, especially beginners. It is necessary to give an enema if there is no bowel movement for more than two days. A beginner fasting person must do this on the second and third days after fasting in order to remove undigested food residues from the body and improve their well-being.

The harm of fasting is the occurrence of flatulence and bloating

Main causes this phenomenon- large portions of food, consumption heavy products too early and inappropriate chewing, as well as poor bowel cleansing before fasting and during fasting. To eliminate such symptoms, it is necessary to come out of fasting gradually, do enemas and lead a physically active lifestyle. Flatulence and bloating after fasting, they are most often observed in winter and spring. Restorative nutrition Eating exclusively plant foods at this time is not in keeping with the season and, as it were, “cools” your body. To prevent this from happening, include steamed vegetables in your diet, more cereals, use spices and various oils, but not earlier than three days after fasting. Remember that in winter the body needs dense food, and in summer and autumn you can use various vegetables.

The harm of fasting is increased weakness, severe dizziness and fainting.

These symptoms may appear on the third or fifth day after completing the fast, as a result of severe physical exertion. With the surge of strength that arises, many do not calculate their physical capabilities. To prevent such situations from arising, upon recovery from fasting must be observed strict regime than during the fasting process itself. Get plenty of rest and don't overwork yourself. Only experienced fasters can fast without harm to the body. active image life. Physical activity at the end of fasting helps the body quickly adjust to its usual diet.

The dangers of fasting - joints begin to crack

Crunching joints may be observed at the beginning of recovery from fasting, and more often in thin people. When this phenomenon occurs, gradually diversify your diet, include various vegetable oils and.

The harm of fasting is exacerbation of chronic diseases

In this case, it is necessary to exit according to the standard scheme, and not to rush into early consumption of heavy food.

In order to avoid the harm of fasting, start apply practice fasting slowlyand gradually. First, learn to eat properly after a one- to three-day fast, then master fasting before the onset of a crisis, and only after that begin long-term fasting. After all harm of fasting - mistakes that were made when recovering from long-term fasting. Therefore, if you fast on your own, be attentive and careful, study special literature and the experience of other fasting people.

Many women and men try to keep their body in ideal shape, but in order to achieve excellent results, proper nutrition and physical activity are not always enough; many athletes and those losing weight use the fasting method. Unfortunately, adherents of hunger strikes do not know much about what the consequences of fasting can be, especially if they constantly refuse food without preparation.

The consequences of fasting are often truly terrible; many doctors say that young girls, carried away by this method of weight loss, come to the hospital by ambulance with a diagnosis of anorexia or more terrible diseases. As many adherents of proper nutrition say, a girl should go on a water fast every week, while completely refusing any food for this period. Unfortunately, many nutritionists try to dissuade their patients from such a dubious method of losing weight and cleansing, as it can be harmful to the body.

There are more and more adherents of fasting, and not everyone understands why such stress can be destructive for the human body, because many sources talk about incredible benefits hunger. If you read a little more information about this method of weight loss, you will find out that, according to experts, it is the refusal of food that helps remove all waste and toxins from the organ systems.

Also, during a period of hunger, you can lose a lot of excess weight; in addition, refusing to eat can boost your immunity and improve the functioning of your digestive system. But that’s not all, some sincerely believe that hunger can cure dangerous and incurable diseases, which have to be treated only with strong drugs.

There is a small truth that hunger makes it possible to lose excess weight, because in any case, when food does not enter the body, it has to expend its own sources of energy. But when the feeling of hunger passes, severe weakness and other ailments occur, all this happens for the reason that the body does not receive important vitamins and minerals, this affects your well-being.

How does the body behave during hunger?

It is not uncommon for patients to complain of bad breath during fasting, and diarrhea during fasting; many also have stomach pain and heartburn during fasting; the causes of these ailments are quite simple, and we will write about them in more detail below. So, it is worth considering how the human body behaves if it stops receiving food, which is a valuable and only source of energy. Now we will only talk about fasting that lasts more than two days, since this can already be considered a long fast.

Since food does not enter the stomach, after a few days of intense work the body has to switch to its own resources, which were constantly preserved all the time before famine. Unfortunately, when the body uses its resources, this negatively affects the functioning of all organ systems. The fact is that our body spends not only unnecessary fats, but also very important proteins that are involved in the process of creating new cells.

If there is not enough protein, this leads to sagging skin, then wrinkles appear, and health also worsens significantly as the muscles weaken. When fasting goes on for too long, a person develops protein and energy malnutrition, which can be varying degrees severity, and cases of exhaustion are also not uncommon.

At the same time, the quality of life also deteriorates, since the girl simply cannot think about anything else, such as the feeling of hunger; often the smell of acetone may appear on her breath during fasting; diarrhea is also observed; the abdomen and stomach area may hurt, after a while Over time, severe weakness and increasing nausea appear.

Many people believe that hunger helps increase immunity, but this is not true, because during such a period the body’s defenses sharply decrease, for this reason, it is during the period of complete abstinence from food that women contract flu and colds. It is not uncommon to observe an exacerbation of other chronic diseases that long time did not bother the woman at all.

Since the immune system is suppressed, the body cannot normally resist even the simplest diseases, so there is no talk about more serious health problems. Many women who were adherents of hunger experienced the development of tumors, their mental abilities were also significantly reduced, and their hormonal levels were significantly disrupted, which led to infertility. Doctors noticed that starving people were more likely to experience stomach and intestinal disorders, women also became more nervous, the functioning of the heart and blood vessels worsened, electrolyte imbalance occurred, and this led to fainting and convulsions.

Several years ago, doctors recommended strict fasting to their patients if the patient was taken to the hospital with acute appendicitis, stomach and intestinal bleeding, as well as severe injuries in which a person loses consciousness for a long time. But although this fast was used for a certain time, each patient was given intravenous substances such as glucose, electrolytes and various amino acids in liquid form. All these components were vitally necessary for a person in serious condition, since glucose and other components helped the body to fully recover.

Today, doctors are confident that a complete refusal of food cannot benefit the patient, since good nutrition every organism needs, even unconscious patients should receive the necessary substances.

If the patient is unconscious, then a special energy mixture is used for him from substances that will help support human life; such mixtures use proteins, light fats, amino acids and carbohydrates. Previously, the compounds were administered intravenously, but now nutritional mixtures are introduced into the body through a special tube if a person cannot feed himself. Based on this, it can be understood that refusing to eat simply cannot be beneficial for the body, since it is a certain stress and risk.

The effect of hunger on the body has already been fully studied, for this reason you can find many arguments about why it is better not to give up food, especially for a long time. Many girls can say that only with the help of hunger can they remove extra pounds from their waist, but even here there is danger. The thing is that when the body realizes that food is not entering the stomach, it begins to use up all the stored resources, so the weight gradually decreases.

But as soon as a woman leaves the diet, the body immediately stores what it eats into fat deposits, and the feeling of hunger becomes stronger, forcing the woman to overeat. All this leads not only to rapid weight gain, but also to deterioration of health; in addition, the kilograms usually return in excess.

Health effects of hunger

The effect of prolonged hunger on the body can be very dangerous; just consider the examples of women who very often practice this method weight loss. It is worth remembering that a lack of nutrients will certainly affect normal operation body, because the body is deprived not only of its usual energy, but also important microelements, minerals and vitamin substances.

Not only the body as a whole suffers, but also the beauty of a woman; for starters, the lack of substances affects the health of nails, teeth, hair and skin, nails peel, teeth darken and decay, and hair falls out. You can also pay attention to the skin, it will become duller, pimples will begin to appear much more often, and elasticity will decrease and wrinkles will be more noticeable.

Obese girls should not practice this method at all, since the extra pounds begin to fall off quickly enough, and the skin does not have time to adapt to such rapid work. As a result, it turns out that the skin sags and becomes flabby, this will be noticeable on the face, in the hips, abdomen, and also on the buttocks. In addition, the body begins to break down protein, which provides skin elasticity, and when there is less protein in the skin, the appearance deteriorates significantly.

What are the dangers of fasting?

In teenagers and people with chronic diseases other diseases may develop, since constant hunger causes digestive failure, also for girls in adolescence You should not use such a diet so as not to disrupt hormonal levels, otherwise you may get additional women's diseases. Main danger the fact is that the body spends proteins, and after leaving the diet, these proteins are immediately replaced by adipose tissue, so it turns out that much more excess fat is added than it was before losing weight.

Our body is programmed in such a way that if we periodically go on hunger strikes, it will not be able to normally perceive a constant influx of food. The body remembers the information that “dark” days can come at any time, for this reason it stores a large amount of excess fat in order to use this reserve in difficult times. Thus, it turns out that after each strict diet, the body tries to gain as many kilograms as possible in order to later use them up during the diet.

The dangers of fasting

The harm of fasting may not be felt in the first few days of restrictions, since many symptoms can be attributed to lack of food, but lack of food can lead to very disastrous results. Many girls are perplexed when, after starvation, the kilograms return, and even in more. If we look at the population of the USA, there are a lot of fat people who have become victims of poor nutrition, as well as constant dieting. But France and Japan differ in that in these countries people are more committed proper nutrition and their native cuisine, for this reason problems with obesity are not so common there.

Harm is also observed in the restructuring of the body, many notice that their breath begins to smell unpleasant, women consider this to be toxins that leave the body, but in fact bad smell may indicate disturbances in the functioning of the stomach and intestines.

The effects of fasting, leading to unpleasant results, are already familiar to many young ladies in our country, since girls under thirty are overweight in almost forty percent of cases. Unfortunately, a hunger strike will not help cleanse the body of everything unnecessary, but it can bring many health problems that did not exist before.

Anorexia as a consequence of hunger strikes

There have been cases when women were overly carried away by refusing food, trying to lose as much excess weight as possible, in this case the lady developed anorexia. This disease is considered psychophysical, for this reason the help of not only a doctor, but also a psychologist is necessary.

This disease manifests itself when hunger strikes are carried out frequently, then the body simply ceases to feel the feeling of hunger, and body weight rapidly decreases; this disease is increasingly found among professional fashion models.

Anorexia can manifest itself against the background of starvation, as well as frequent stress, in some cases the disease ends in death.

Most likely, many women still know that completely refusing food can cause a lot of harm. healthy body, but they don’t give it any importance. But hunger can be safe if only carried out under the strict supervision of a doctor and with careful preparation of the body. Proper preparation will play a very big role in refusing food.

Many experts in the field traditional medicine claim that long-term or one-day fasting benefits the body.

However, nutritionists warn about the dangers of prolonged fasting. A person during fasting must follow the rules and instructions. Under no circumstances should you cleanse your body with uncontrolled fasting. Failure to comply with the rules may result in serious damage in the body, as well as exhaustion. This usually happens when a person seeks not only to cleanse the body through fasting, but also to lose weight to the desired shape.

The dangers of fasting

For the human body, consuming zero calories or consuming less than 800 kilocalories poses an extreme health risk. All this can end in muscle breakdown, including the heart muscle.

The human body constantly requires energy in the form of food to maintain various functions. During fasting, the body takes energy from carbohydrate reserves (muscle). This usually happens within 48 hours. Subsequently, the necessary energy is provided by blood proteins. Next, the body begins to break down fat.

There are several types of fasting: dry, water, fruit and vegetable juice, or the use of protein concentrates enriched with vitamins and minerals.

After a period of fasting of more than two weeks, urinary nitrogen excretion decreases from 30 to 50% of its initial value, which implies a decrease in the body's own protein by 25-38 grams per day. During long-term fasting, another 20 g of endogenous protein per day (from muscles) is used as an energy source by the human body.

Dangers and contraindications of fasting

For healing and cleansing the body, it is better to use short-term fasting for 1 to 5 days. Longer fasting is best done by experienced people. Fasting for more than 100 days is contraindicated and dangerous. In addition, long-term fasting is best done in specialized centers and hospitals under the supervision of a doctor.

Absolute contraindications are: pregnancy, breast-feeding, mental disorders, diseases of the liver, heart and kidneys. In addition, fasting should be avoided acute infections, electrolyte imbalance, stroke, anemia, poor health and old age.

Prolonged and improper fasting can lead to various complications due to protein deficiency. Very low energy intake can lead to cardiac arrhythmia.

Other complications or side effects: hypotension, circulatory problems, ketoacidosis, kidney stones and even kidney failure, nausea and vomiting.

The use of free fatty acids for energy leads to the formation of ketone bodies. When ketone bodies are excreted through the kidneys, uric acid excretion is suppressed and thus the serum uric acid concentration increases. This increase can cause gout.

One-day fasting is the best option

To remove toxins from the body, improve health, and strengthen the immune system, you do not need to resort to long-term debilitating fasting. It is enough to follow a special diet one day a week.

The diet consists of drinking only boiled water, or another drink (juice). 1 day before one-day fasting It is better not to overload your stomach with heavy food. During the day you should eat light meals, salads (). Exit from fasting is carried out in the same way.

Fasting one day a week

Our ancestors fasted once a week. This allowed the digestive system to rest and also improve metabolism.

Supporters healthy image life also fast once a week to cleanse the body and improve metabolism.

Suitable days for one-day fasting are Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

If you want to cleanse yourself with fasting only once or twice a month, then in this case it must be done on the full moon or new moon.

The best vegetable and fruit juices for fasting: beets, carrots, spinach, cucumbers, celery, watercress (suitable for full moon); pineapple, peach, lemon, watermelon, grapefruit, grapes, pear, apple, strawberry, lime, mango, melon, papaya, orange, currants, blueberries, juniper (suitable during the new moon).

Fruit mixtures (sample):

150 ml apple juice and 80 ml grape juice

150 ml pineapple juice and 80 ml mango juice

120 ml grapefruit juice and 80 ml orange juice

120 ml apple juice and 80 ml berry juice

Fruit and vegetable mixtures (sample):

110 ml apple juice + 110 ml carrot juice

170 ml apple juice and 50 ml beet juice

120 ml carrot juice + 50 ml spinach juice + 50 ml celery juice and beet juice

Beneficial one-day fasting

In the morning after waking up, drink 200 ml of water with lemon (). Instead of breakfast, lunch and dinner, drink diluted fruit or vegetable juice (120 ml water for dilution). You should also drink 1.5 - 2 liters during the day clean water. In addition, you can drink herbal decoctions: chamomile, nettle, mint.

Many people who want to lose weight and cleanse their body of waste and toxins resort to therapeutic fasting. If fasting was carried out according to all the rules, these goals, as a rule, are achieved without harm to health. As a result of fasting, the intestines are cleansed, the digestive system is unloaded, the body is healed, insomnia disappears, and digestion improves. However, the desire to lose weight often forces a person to exceed the safe period of fasting, without thinking about the benefits and harms of fasting and forgetting that long-term fasting - more than 5-7 days - must be under the supervision of a doctor, otherwise it can cause damage to health. In this case, the consequences of fasting will be negative.

As a result of fasting, the body is subjected to quite a lot of stress - it goes into saving mode, slowing down the basal metabolism, therefore, with prolonged fasting, lethargy, weakness, inhibition of reactions, impaired mental activity are noted, and in severe cases - fainting, anemia, hair loss, severe vitamin deficiency, disturbances in the functioning of internal organs. Such consequences of fasting are eliminated with great difficulty. At the same time, after recovering from fasting, a person often regains lost weight quite quickly, sometimes even to a greater extent, since the body strives to accumulate as many reserves as possible in case of a repetition of the hunger strike, and all the positive results of fasting are nullified. Therefore, before resorting to this method of cleansing the body, carefully study all the pros and cons of fasting so as not to harm yourself.

Consequences of fasting

By starting fasting, you stop supplying the body with the main source of energy - food. If the body, in need of energy resources, does not receive them, the search process starts alternative sources energy: the body strives to find and process everything that can give it energy without harm to it. This process can be compared to general cleaning of the body, waste disposal. As a result of fasting, not only the digestive tract is cleansed, but also the level of cholesterol in the blood is normalized, metabolic processes improve in the body. But there is also back side medals - referring to the harm of fasting. Indeed, as a result of fasting, when disposing of “garbage” in the body, a large amount of toxins is released; a colossal load falls on the liver and kidneys, and if they do not have time to remove these toxins from the body, poisoning may occur. If a person has a large amount of fat deposits, fasting is easier - after all, the body primarily uses fat cells as an energy resource. But with a lack of fat, it begins to be processed muscle, the organs no longer have enough nutrients, the functioning of internal organs deteriorates, all types of metabolism are disrupted, and products that under normal conditions should be broken down and eliminated completely begin to accumulate in the body. Cells are destroyed and will not be restored later. The kidneys and liver begin to malfunction, and salts, toxins, and waste accumulate. Ultimately, the body is simply poisoned. Such consequences of fasting can occur as early as 10-14 days; with a dry fast, they occur even earlier, on days 3-5, and get worse severe dehydration body. The harm of fasting carried out in violation of the rules or without taking into account the individual characteristics of a person can be enormous. Fasting longer than 4-6 weeks poses a risk fatal outcome(during a dry fast - for 5-6 days). Therefore, in order not to harm yourself, fasting, especially long-term fasting, should be carried out under the close supervision of a doctor.

Fasting results

At the beginning of fasting, you expose your body to quite a lot of stress - it reacts to it in ways that are quite unpleasant for you, letting you know that it needs food. These symptoms may include the following:

headaches and muscle pain during fasting;
insomnia;
smell of acetone from the mouth, white coating on the tongue, nausea (herbal rinses will help cope with nausea);
weakness, dizziness, fainting (if you feel dizzy, do not drive a car or do heavy work or work related to coordination of movement);
fever, increased sweating;
strong mucus discharge from the body (this indicates that the removal of toxins has begun);
feeling of weakness, body aches.

The feeling of pain during fasting is normal reaction body on stressful situation. Pain during fasting should never be relieved with medication; it is better to try to relax, make a compress, take a bath, and go to bed. As a rule, these symptoms disappear on the third day, when the body rebuilds its metabolic processes and begins to receive energy from internal sources. If these symptoms (including strong feeling hunger) last more than 3-4 days, tell your doctor about this. Perhaps to avoid negative results fasting will have to stop.

The results of fasting for more than 1 week can be persistent constipation, intestinal dysfunction, dysfunction of the kidneys, liver and other internal organs, nervous exhaustion, muscle atrophy, development of dystrophy, as well as hair loss, deterioration of teeth and gums (before the development of stomatitis and tooth loss). That is why experts strongly recommend not to undergo long-term (more than 1 week) fasting courses at home without proper medical supervision.

In order for the results of fasting to be long-term, and the harm of fasting not to outweigh the benefits of it, you need to exit fasting carefully, gradually including food in your diet - at first only liquid and little by little, a few spoons on the first day; then gradually increase the amount of food and begin to introduce solid food- vegetables, cereals, thick soups, bread. IN last resort add meat to your menu.

Pros and cons of fasting

As a result of fasting, the human body is cleansed at the cellular level, you will really feel better, but prolonged fasting, carried out without following the rules and without proper medical supervision, can lead to quite sad consequences. Among these consequences of fasting are disturbances in the functioning of the intestines, kidneys, liver and other internal organs, deterioration of the nervous condition, deterioration of the condition of the skin, hair, nails, teeth, “burning” of muscles, the development of pathological conditions of various origins. To avoid similar results of fasting, strictly follow the rules, do not undergo long-term fasting courses without medical supervision, and do not increase the duration of the fasting course. For getting positive results Fasting is sufficient for 1-3 days. During this time, the body has time to cleanse itself, and negative consequences starvation does not occur. Under the supervision of a doctor, fasting can be extended up to 10 days, in a hospital - up to 3 weeks.