The Health Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting

1. Lose weight

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One of the reasons many people choose to do intermittent fasting is to lose weight. The calories consumed are limited, as the eating time frame has been shortened. And, during fasting, we may use up the stored fat in our body to release energy, meaning we may lose weight.

2. Regulate blood sugar levels

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Intermittent fasting may increase the sensitivity our body has to insulin, meaning our body may be able to regulate our blood sugar levels better. For example, it is insulin resistance which can lead to type 2 diabetes. And so, intermittent fasting could potentially help to reduce the risk of this.

3. Reduce inflammation

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Inflammation can be damaging to our body and when it happens to a certain point it may increase the rick of diseases such as heart disease. Reducing inflammation is a positive effect that intermittent fasting could have on the body and it could help improve our overall well being.

4. Maintain brain health

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Some experts have claimed that incorporating intermittent fasting into your daily routine could decrease the risks of diseases of the brain, for example, Dementia, Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, for example. And, it may help against the natural decline in our brain function as we age.

5. Increase metabolic health

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Risks of metabolic disease may increase due to things such as, high blood sugar levels, insulin resistance and more. But, some research has suggested that intermittent fasting may fight against these. Meaning, that it may reduce the risk of metabolic disease.

6. Increase your lifespan

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It is thought by some health experts that intermittent fasting may actually help you live longer. Due to the health benefits that it is thought that the increase in your overall health and well being may actually help you live longer and stay healthier.

7. Improve immune function

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Another health benefit that may happen as a result of intermittent fasting, is improved immune function. Our immune system protects us and fights against viruses etc. So it's a super important part of our health, and improving it can make us healthier.

8. Improve heart health

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Some studies have suggested that intermittent fasting could reduce our risk of diseases which affect our hearts, such as: high cholesterol, high blood pressure etc which can lead to things such as heart disease and heart attack or stroke in more extreme cases.

9. Heal faster

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 You may notice that when you have a small cut or wound, you may heal faster than usual. Perhaps it hasn't been there for days and days, but instead maybe it has managed to close up and heal within just a couple of days. Some people have claimed that this is a result of intermittent fasting.

10. Improve gut health

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Gut health is often a health benefit of intermittent fasting that people don't realise. But, it may actually improve the overall health of your gut by encouraging the reproduction of good gut bacteria, and reducing the bad bacteria which also can help reduce inflammation in the gut.

11. Sleep better

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Another potential benefit that you may experience when intermittent fasting, is that you might sleep better. Many people have reported that the quality of their sleep has improved in terms of falling asleep and actually staying asleep throughout the night.

12. Reduce stress

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Some experts have claimed that intermittent fasting may reduce some of the chemicals in our body that are linked with stress. Stress can have a very detrimental effect on our body and even speed up the ageing process. So intermittent fasting may help slow this process.

13. More energy

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Some people who have used the intermittent fasting technique for some time have actually said that they feel like they have more energy than before. They claim that it is easier to get up, and have a productive day. They have said that they feel more motivated.

14. Better mood

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Another positive effect that many people have found from intermittent fasting is that they feel as though their mood has improved. Some people have claimed that their mood feels more stable, and generally more upbeat and positive than it did beforehand.

15. Speedy cell growth

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One benefit of intermittent fasting may be the new growth of cells, and the repairing of damaged cells. This could have a positive impact on our whole body. And it, may improve our brain function too, due tot he fact that the new cells are growing, helping our cognitive ability.

16. More motivation

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Motivation can be seriously hard to come by sometimes. But, people who have been intermittent fasting for some time have claimed that their motivation has improved as a result. They have found that they have much more motivation and inspiration to do things than with their previous food routine.

17. Increase in hormones

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It is thought that intermittent fasting could actually increase the level of human growth hormone in our body. The HGH can help us grow, help our bones strengthen and it can also help with muscle gain amongst several other beneficial health factors.

18. Helping cellular process

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So as we already know, intermittent fasting may help our cells grow and repair. But it also may help our cells remove their wate material. This means that the cell can get rid of anything bad or unnecessary from the cell so that it can repair in a healthier way.

19. Reduce oxidative stress

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Oxidative stress is something which occurs in the body and can make our molecules unstable. It is a damaging process within the body which can lead towards ageing as well as chronic diseases. But, intermittent fasting may be a way to help protect against these.

20. Decrease blood pressure

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Blood pressure can be raised through factors such as diet, as well as extremely factors such as stress. High blood pressure is a huge problem in today's society. But, intermittent fasting may actually work to reduce blood pressure meaning that to could alleviate the risks.

21. May help prevent cancer

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It is even thought that intermittent fasting may actually reduce the risks of developing cancer. This is because intermittent fasting may reduce some of the factors which are linked to increasing the likelihood of cancer, such as inflammation, or metabolic factors.

22. Improved skin health

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There have been multiple claims from people taking part in intermittent fasting who have noticed an improvement in their skin health and the overall appearance. Some claimed that they had clearer skin, and other's claimed that their acne had improved slightly.

23. Reduced risk of depression

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While intermittent fasting has never been claimed to be a cure for depression, it has been reported that it may help in some cases. The exact science and understanding of this is not yet know, but it could possibly help alleviate some of the symptoms of depression.

24. Reduced visceral fat

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Visceral fat is a dangerous fat, it collects around the heart and vital organs. So in theory, the more we have, the worse the health consequences. But intermittent fasting may help reduce our visceral fat, meaning that our vital organs could be healthier for it.

25. Improved eye health

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Many of the health benefits of intermittent fasting aren't fully known yet, and neither are the full effects that intermittent fasting have on eye health. But, it is thought that it could improve eye sight and actually decrease the risk of declining vision or blurred vision.

26. Physical fitness

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Physical fitness is often a sign of our overall health. When we are physically fit, generally speaking (although not always), we are healthier overall. And with intermittent fasting, it could help us improve our overall fitness, helping with muscle growth and repair as well as giving more stamina.

27. Reduced bad cholesterol

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There are two kinds of cholesterol in our bodies, HDL (also known as good cholesterol) and LDL (or bad cholesterol). It is thought that intermittent fasting could help to reduce the bad cholesterol in our body, which in turn could decrease the risk of cholesterol related diseases.

28. Reduced risk of digestion problems

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Digestion problems are extremely common, from people with IBS or people with mild food intolerances etc. But, many people who have started intermittent fasting who have had digestive issues have reported feeling that the symptoms have alleviated in some way.

29. More appetite control

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Some people have claimed that when they started intermittent fasting, they were able to control their appetite much better. They found that they no longer had cravings for unhealthy foods at random times of the day, which may help maintain an overall healthy diet.

30. You could feel better

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One of the most important aspects that has been found with intermittent fasting, is that so many people have reported that they just feel generally better. This is in terms of their overall mental and physical health, but this is one of the main reasons why it has become so popular.