A water fast, often also referred to as "fasting on water," is a period of time during which you take in nothing but water. This results in some changes in your body's source of energy, since you're not taking in nutrients. While you may lose a bit of weight, a water fast won't significantly affect your cardiovascular system, however.
Fasting
There are many reasons you might have fasted or considered fasting in the past. Some people do it for spiritual reasons, as before a major holiday. Others fast thinking it will help to jump-start a diet, while still others believe that fasting "cleanses" the body or rids it of toxins. Provided you're of a healthy pre-fast weight and don't fast for too long, it shouldn't hurt you.
Water Fast
There are different kinds of fasts. Some fasts call for simply avoiding meat or other components of a diet, while others allow only liquids. A water fast is the most drastic fast you can safely undertake; for as long as you're fasting, you take nothing but water. Because water contains no energy-providing nutrients, vitamins or minerals, you have to get all your nutrition from body stores. Your two major sources of energy become stored glycogen -- a carbohydrate -- and stored fat, explains Dr. Lauralee Sherwood in her book "Human Physiology."
Cardiovascular System
If you typically eat a diet high in saturated fat, which comes mainly from animals, or trans fat from processed foods, you may have very high cholesterol. This can lead to a buildup of cholesterol plaques in the arteries, which narrows them, explains the American Heart Association. The narrowed arteries not only prevent adequate blood flow, they can also form clots, which can cause heart attack and stroke. To improve health, you need to reduce blood cholesterol.
Considerations
There is no scientific evidence to suggest that a water fast alone can cleanse the arteries. This is because water fasts typically last short periods of time -- a matter of days -- and to affect your arteries through dietary measures takes years. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute notes that it's possible to cleanse your arteries of atherosclerotic plaques if you begin -- and maintain -- eating a healthy diet, while working on getting your weight into the normal range. This isn't always sufficient, however, and sometimes medical treatment is necessary.
References
- "Human Physiology"; Lauralee Sherwood, Ph.D.; 2004
- American Heart Association: Atherosclerosis
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Treating Atherosclerosis
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