Medical fasting is the planned abstention from food for periods of several hours to several days to achieve a medical goal, such as detoxification, disease prevention or weight loss. Medical fasts can either be supervised by a physician or conducted independent of medical advice. These fasts have mixed support in the scientific community, depending on the reason for the fast.
Types
Medical fasts differ in the length of the fast and the reason for fasting. Some dieters include intermittent fasting, or fasting during certain parts of the days or days of the week, in their weight-loss program. Others include daylong fasts before beginning a detoxification program to eliminate any food from the body before the detoxification begins. Finally, some fast for a day or longer to achieve a certain health benefit, such as stabilizing blood sugar.
Benefits
Some proponents of medical fasts believe that intermittent fasting, like restricting calories, can stave off obesity, extend life and prevent diseases. Other researchers, such as Andreas Michalsen, author of "Prolonged Fasting as a Method of Mood Enhancement in Chronic Pain Syndromes," believe that fasting can reduce symptoms of chronic pain and even elevate the mood. Fasting has also been shown to improve the HDL/LDL cholesterol ratio, to improve glucose homestasis, and to increase the levels of serum leptin in the bloodstream, which helps to control appetite.
Drawbacks
Medical fasting may have drawbacks as well. Some researchers, such as the authors of "Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition," claim that fasting can cause your basal metabolism rate to slow, which can lead to weight gain in the future. Fasting can also lead to overeating if the person who is fasting does not come out of the fast slowly. In addition, fasting prevents dieters from developing healthy eating strategies because it focuses on deprivation rather than changing poor eating habits.
Fasting
Consult your physician before you begin any fast for medical reasons. Your health history or medical condition, such as diabetes or pregnancy, may make fasting inadvisable. If fasting is not right for your needs, your physician can recommend an alternative strategy to achieve your goals. If your physician believes that fasting can help your condition, she can help you develop a plan for fasting and coming out of the fast in a healthy manner.
References
- "Los Angeles Times"; Running on Empty; Shari Roan; February 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Do Detox Diets Offer Any Health Benefits?; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.; April 2010
- "Current Pain and Headache Reports"; Prolonged Fasting as a Method of Mood Enhancement in Chronic Pain Syndromes; Andreas Michalsen; March 2010
- "Journal of Pakistan Medical Association"; Fasting During Ramadan and Obesity; Mohammad Yawar Yakoob; March 2011
- "Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition"; Sharon Rady Rolfes, et al.; 2006
- Canadian Living; Should You Try a Weight-Loss Fast?; Anne Bokma
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