In ancient times, our ancestors were used to dealing with the scarcity of food. Having plenty to eat some days and little on other days was the norm, and did no harm to their wellness and wellbeing. Could it be, however, that intermittent fasting in this way can also have anti-aging effects?
This could be the case, as intermittent fasting enhances cellular repair, reduces oxidative stress and seems to be a great way of increasing your lifespan. Food scarcity over many thousands of years appears to have led to our ancestors and, subsequently, us, developing protective mechanisms in their bodies to help them adapt in times when food is scarce.
When food is scarce, the cell membranes in our bodies become more sensitive to insulin. This allows fat to be stored effectively and food used effectively too. On the other hand, when food is abundant, the body desensitises the cells to insulin, in order to store fat, and this produces oxidative stress and causes inflammatory conditions in the body. The increased insulin can also lead to increased risk of cancer and enhances cellular division.
Now that we have a massive abundance of food sources, the body is constantly receiving signals of surplus. In order to turn on the body’s natural anti-aging mechanism, intermittent fasting can be employed. This turns on the genetic repair mechanisms in the body and enhances the rejuvenation of cells. This process seems to allow certain cells to have a much longer lifetime, perhaps because it is less expensive to repair a cell than it is to break it up and make new cells. This stops the formation of cancer cells.
Therefore, new diets such as the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet could have all kinds of fantastic health benefits. As well as losing weight you could reduce your risk of cancer and keep looking younger for longer.
