Fasting promotes Autophagy: detoxification and cellular rejuvenation
Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2019 7:15 am
Autophagy: detoxification and cellular rejuvenation
A state of fasting, even if of short duration and on a daily basis, such as intermittent fasting, purifies and detoxifies the body at a deep and cellular level. Any type of nutrition, even the most "clean" one and with natural and unprocessed foods, is a reason for the body to accumulate toxins, such as excess proteins, preservatives, dyes and countless other substances, which accumulate at cellular level and in the extracellular matrix of the lymphatic system. The progressive accumulation of these toxins gradually and often silently increases their level in the body, producing fatigue and innumerable types of disorders, leading to the appearance of real diseases.
Periodic and intermittent fasting activates an important biological process for the elimination of these toxins, and this process is called Autophagy. The term Autophagy, coined by the scientist Christian de Duve, winner of the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology for his discoveries, together with Albert Claude and George Emil Palade, on the structural and functional organization of the cell, derives from the Greek auto ("Self") and phagein ("eat"). The term therefore means "eating yourself" and it represents a process of self-purification of deep cleaning at cellular level. It is a real process of cell renewal, where the body uses and gets rid of old cellular material that is no longer functional on a physiological level, and then replaces it with new cells. When this process of self-cleaning and renewal is hindered or suppressed, diseases such as cancer and the many aging symptoms arise. If the autophagic process is not periodically and systematically activated, the cellular toxin components accumulate more and more, with negative effects on the functionality of the physiological systems. Increased glucose, insulin and protein levels is the signal that blocks this important biological purification and renewal phenomenon. In other words, the constant intake of nutrients, like happens in our modern society, which wrongly tells you to eat 3 meals a day plus snacks, suppresses the fundamental and physiological process of Autophagy. When the body, in a state of fasting and total absence of food (water aside), perceives the temporary absence of nutrients, it must prioritize which cellular parts to keep and which to use for energy purposes. The old and "worn out" cellular parts are hence eliminated, and the amino acids deriving from the metabolization of the cells are transported to the liver that uses them for energy purposes, breaking them down into glucose, through the Glucognesis phenomenon.
As demonstrated in a study conducted by Mattson et al (2014), when the biological phenomenon of autophagy intervenes, the lysosomes - small organelles responsible for the degradation of organic compounds and substances of endogenous and exogenous nature - intervene precisely to break down, dispose and repair the dysfunctional or damaged proteins, organelles and membranes. In order for this process to be triggered, it is necessary that the intake of energy through food and especially that of amino acids must be low. When, on the other hand, the body keeps on taking food on a regular basis, the cells remain in an anabolic state, which suppresses the positive effect of autophagy [Mattson, M. P., Allison, D. B., Fontana, L., Harvie, M., Longo, V. D., Malaisse, W. J., & Panda, S. (2014). Meal frequency and timing in health and disease. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(47)]
The main physiological stimulus responsible for activating autophagy is fasting, meaning a total abstention from food, except for water intake. It is like bringing the cells of your body to get cleaned, similar to when you bring the car to the car wash. This is why, after a more or less long period of fasting, you feel lighter, more efficient and full of renewed energy. It implements a powerful cleaning effect and interior renovation, which is then reflected on a general state of well-being and energy.
Intermittent Fasting activates and promotes autophagy, and this increases the longevity of the body, in addition to the function of neurons and the brain. The increased efficiency of the nervous system is partly attributable precisely to the increased activation of this important cellular cleaning phenomenon.
The beneficial effects of autophagy play an important role in the prevention of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease, which unfortunately is increasingly common in our modern and supercharged society, is characterized by an abnormal accumulation of beta-amyeloid proteins in the brain and it is believed that this accumulation can eventually destroy the synaptic connections responsible for memory and cognitive functions. It appears that autophagy can remove these beta-amyeloid protein plaques and therefore constitute an important aspect in the prevention of this disease. Another study has shown that even sporadic fasting could represent a simple, safe and cheap way to promote a positive neuronal response through the activation of autophagy [Alirezaei M, Kemball CC, Flynn CT, et al. – Short-term fasting induces profound neuronal autophagy. - Autophagy. 2010 Aug;6(6):702-10].
From my book: The 80/20 Pareto Diet: The Magical Power of Intermittent Fasting for a slim body and a smart mind
https://amzn.to/2kBSEqR
A state of fasting, even if of short duration and on a daily basis, such as intermittent fasting, purifies and detoxifies the body at a deep and cellular level. Any type of nutrition, even the most "clean" one and with natural and unprocessed foods, is a reason for the body to accumulate toxins, such as excess proteins, preservatives, dyes and countless other substances, which accumulate at cellular level and in the extracellular matrix of the lymphatic system. The progressive accumulation of these toxins gradually and often silently increases their level in the body, producing fatigue and innumerable types of disorders, leading to the appearance of real diseases.
Periodic and intermittent fasting activates an important biological process for the elimination of these toxins, and this process is called Autophagy. The term Autophagy, coined by the scientist Christian de Duve, winner of the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology for his discoveries, together with Albert Claude and George Emil Palade, on the structural and functional organization of the cell, derives from the Greek auto ("Self") and phagein ("eat"). The term therefore means "eating yourself" and it represents a process of self-purification of deep cleaning at cellular level. It is a real process of cell renewal, where the body uses and gets rid of old cellular material that is no longer functional on a physiological level, and then replaces it with new cells. When this process of self-cleaning and renewal is hindered or suppressed, diseases such as cancer and the many aging symptoms arise. If the autophagic process is not periodically and systematically activated, the cellular toxin components accumulate more and more, with negative effects on the functionality of the physiological systems. Increased glucose, insulin and protein levels is the signal that blocks this important biological purification and renewal phenomenon. In other words, the constant intake of nutrients, like happens in our modern society, which wrongly tells you to eat 3 meals a day plus snacks, suppresses the fundamental and physiological process of Autophagy. When the body, in a state of fasting and total absence of food (water aside), perceives the temporary absence of nutrients, it must prioritize which cellular parts to keep and which to use for energy purposes. The old and "worn out" cellular parts are hence eliminated, and the amino acids deriving from the metabolization of the cells are transported to the liver that uses them for energy purposes, breaking them down into glucose, through the Glucognesis phenomenon.
As demonstrated in a study conducted by Mattson et al (2014), when the biological phenomenon of autophagy intervenes, the lysosomes - small organelles responsible for the degradation of organic compounds and substances of endogenous and exogenous nature - intervene precisely to break down, dispose and repair the dysfunctional or damaged proteins, organelles and membranes. In order for this process to be triggered, it is necessary that the intake of energy through food and especially that of amino acids must be low. When, on the other hand, the body keeps on taking food on a regular basis, the cells remain in an anabolic state, which suppresses the positive effect of autophagy [Mattson, M. P., Allison, D. B., Fontana, L., Harvie, M., Longo, V. D., Malaisse, W. J., & Panda, S. (2014). Meal frequency and timing in health and disease. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(47)]
The main physiological stimulus responsible for activating autophagy is fasting, meaning a total abstention from food, except for water intake. It is like bringing the cells of your body to get cleaned, similar to when you bring the car to the car wash. This is why, after a more or less long period of fasting, you feel lighter, more efficient and full of renewed energy. It implements a powerful cleaning effect and interior renovation, which is then reflected on a general state of well-being and energy.
Intermittent Fasting activates and promotes autophagy, and this increases the longevity of the body, in addition to the function of neurons and the brain. The increased efficiency of the nervous system is partly attributable precisely to the increased activation of this important cellular cleaning phenomenon.
The beneficial effects of autophagy play an important role in the prevention of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease, which unfortunately is increasingly common in our modern and supercharged society, is characterized by an abnormal accumulation of beta-amyeloid proteins in the brain and it is believed that this accumulation can eventually destroy the synaptic connections responsible for memory and cognitive functions. It appears that autophagy can remove these beta-amyeloid protein plaques and therefore constitute an important aspect in the prevention of this disease. Another study has shown that even sporadic fasting could represent a simple, safe and cheap way to promote a positive neuronal response through the activation of autophagy [Alirezaei M, Kemball CC, Flynn CT, et al. – Short-term fasting induces profound neuronal autophagy. - Autophagy. 2010 Aug;6(6):702-10].
From my book: The 80/20 Pareto Diet: The Magical Power of Intermittent Fasting for a slim body and a smart mind
https://amzn.to/2kBSEqR