Fasting has been shown to be effective in the prevention and/or treatment of many chronic health conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis. Fasting can help you recover from illness or injury by redirecting energy from digestion to repair bones, tissue or organs. Always consult a physician before beginning any type of a fast.
Promotes Healthier Insulin Levels
Sugar can suppress the immune system by causing the pancreas to secrete abnormally large quantities of insulin. Water fasting can improve immune function by lowering glucose levels, insulin levels, while raising insulin sensitivity. Studies presented on April 3, 2011 during the 60th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology have shown that regular periodic fasting incorporating a 24-hour water fast, can half your risk for Type 2 diabetes. Researcher and author of the study, Benjamin D. Horne, PhD, MPH stated that although calorie restrictions found in juice fasting can be beneficial for heart health, water-only fasts produced the most beneficial results.
Increases Anti-inflammatory Response
Fasting can be beneficial in the treatment of some allergic and inflammatory conditions, because the process of ketosis decreases the availability of the fatty acid, arachidonic acid, which tends to increase inflammation. Ketosis is the process by which the body begins to use fat instead of glucose as a fuel source. A 1991 study published in "Lancet" by Kjeldsen-Kragh, showed that a four-week juice fast, followed by a year-long adherence to a vegetarian diet, resulted in decreased joint pain, stiffness, inflammation and need of medication in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A second similar study by Kjeldsen-Kragh published in the "British Journal of Rheumatology" in 1996 confirmed that fasting resulted in improvement of immunoglobulin levels and disease.
Improves Infection Fighting Ability
According to a study of obese woman published in 1983 in the "American Journal of Medicine," fasting patients showed an increase in monocytes and killer cell activity, which can enhance your body's ability to fight infection. Killer cells spot and destroy infected cells while monocytes function as a vacuum cleaner, picking up and disposing of debris and dead cells. Immunoglobulins, specifically IgA, are the antibodies produced by your body to identify, bind to and neutralize foreign substances that enter your mucous membranes. Juice fasting has been shown to increase IgA immunoglobulin levels, and immune function in patients with diseases of the skeleton, muscle, and connective tissue, with these benefits lasting beyond the length of the hospital stay, according to a 2001 study in "Research in Complementary and Classical Nutrition Medicine."
Removes Waste
Water is used in almost every biochemical process in the body. During a fast, you will generally consume more water than what you usually drink. This increase in water consumption facilitates the natural healing process, and accelerates the removal of waste products from the body. As your immune system is strengthened from this detoxification process, you may note an increase in energy, mental clarity and feelings of well-being.
References
- "American Journal of Medicine"; Fasting-enhanced immune effector mechanisms in obese subjects; Wing EJ, Stanko RT, Winkelstein A, Adibi SA; July 1983
- "Lancet"; Controlled trial of fasting and one-year vegetarian diet in rheumatoid arthritis; Kjeldsen-Kragh; 1991
- "Research in Complementary and Classical Nutrition Medicine"; Change of the Secretory Immunoglobulin A and the Condition of the Patients during Naturopathic Therapy and Heal-Fasting Therapy; A-M Beer, A. Rüffer, J. Balles, T. Ostermann; 2001
- "Science Daily"; Intermountain Health Center; Benjamin D. Horne, PhD, MPH; April 2011
- "Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics"; Medically Supervised Water-only Fasting in the Treatment of Hypertension; Alan Goldhamer, DC,a Douglas Lisle, PhD,b Banoo Parpia, PhD,c Scott V. Anderson, MD,d; June 2001
- "Digestion";Comparison of fasting, nasogastric suction and cimetidine in the treatment of acute pancreatitis; S Navarro, E Ros, R Aused, M García Pugés, JM Piqué, J. Vilar Bonet; 1984
