Study identifies multi-organ response to seven days without food
www.sciencedaily.com
New findings reveal that the body undergoes significant, systematic changes across multiple organs during prolonged periods of fasting. The results demonstrate evidence of health benefits beyond weight loss, but also show that any potentially health-altering changes appear to occur only after three days without food.

Fasting for a week:

  • Causes significant changes in protein levels across various organs.
  • May have health benefits beyond weight loss, but only after 3 days.
  • Switches energy source from glucose to fat after 2-3 days.
  • Average weight loss of 5.7 kg (fat and muscle), with most fat loss sustained after 3 days of eating.

Implications:

  • Provides insights into the molecular basis of fasting’s health effects.
  • Paves the way for developing alternative treatments based on fasting benefits.
  • Confirms historical use of fasting for specific health conditions.
    • rowinxavier@lemmy.world
      0·
      7 months ago

      You will drop a bunch of water at the start if you are eating carbs beforehand because of the water holding the glycogen in your muscles. As you use the glycogen the water holding it also goes, so it isn’t fat loss, just water weight.

      • RainfallSonata@lemmy.world
        01·
        7 months ago

        The volunteers lost an average of 5.7 kg of both fat mass and lean mass. After three days of eating after fasting, the weight stayed off – the loss of lean was almost completely reversed, but the fat mass stayed off.

    • RainfallSonata@lemmy.world
      01·
      7 months ago

      The article says it was “fat and lean mass” not water weight. And while the “lean mass” (which I guess could be water) retuned after eating again, the “fat mass” did not.