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Jan 05, 2023

Detoxification and Weight Loss

Overview

This article will cover the health benefits of fasting and detox.

The incidence of chronic diseases has skyrocketed over the past few years, affecting millions of people worldwide.

More notably, conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn’s syndrome, ulcerative colitis), lactose intolerance, and irritable bowel syndrome are now more common than ever.

As a result, people experience annoying symptoms on a daily basis, such as bloating, abdominal cramping, and gas.

Moreover, losing weight becomes significantly more challenging if you have gastrointestinal diseases and toxin accumulation inside your body.

 

What are the benefits of fasting?

It promotes weight loss.

People fast to lose weight. However, this diet offers a lot more than that.

Regardless, researchers managed to pinpoint a few mechanisms that explain how fasting leads to weight loss:

  • Caloric deficit
  • Efficient hormonal regulation
  • Reduced insulin resistance

Moreover, those who fast tend to have a faster basal metabolic rate (BMR), further accelerating weight loss.

It decreases insulin resistance.

Low insulin sensitivity is the hallmark of diabetes.

Several studies demonstrated that fasting could help re-sensitize the cells to the action of insulin. Therefore, it may reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome.

Fasting is ideal for overweight individuals with a diagnosis of pre-diabetes.

It improves cardiovascular health.

Fasting improves the function of the cardiovascular system and lowers the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD).

CAD refers to the obstruction of the coronary artery, which is responsible for supplying your heart with blood. Without prompt intervention, this condition is often fatal. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that almost 18 million people die from cardiovascular diseases yearly.

Aside from lowering the risk of CAD, fasting is a great way to improve you’re working out efficiency. This will boost your physical performance and allow you to do more exercise.

It decreases the risk of some cancers.

Cancer is a devastating condition that takes millions of lives every year.

The main pathological characteristic of cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells that destroy the surrounding tissues and organs.

Depending on the site and aggressivity of the cancer, patients may quickly develop fatal complications, such as end-organ failure.

Since cancer occurs without warning or early signs, scientists are always looking for potential risk factors that increase the risk of this condition. Eating patterns and lifestyle choices that reduce this risk are also on top of the research topics.

Fortunately, fasting displayed positive effects in slowing down the growth of tumours and reducing the risk of new cancer cells.

We should note that the studies that found these results were conducted on laboratory animals (e.g., rats). Therefore, we cannot conclude this data until further research is available.

It reduces oxidative stress.

The balance between reactive oxygen species (i.e., free radicals) and antioxidants gets closely monitored by the cell to prevent injury.

These free radicals are usually an effective weapon against harmful pathogens (e.g., bacteria, viruses) that try to destroy our cells. However, they can also wreak havoc on our organs without proper checkpoints.

Unfortunately, many people are now dealing with excessive amounts of free radicals that precipitate a metabolic state known as oxidative stress.

Consequently, the body will be subject to multiple pathologies, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, infections, and neurodegenerative ailments (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease).

According to one study, scientists found that fasting significantly reduces the number of free radicals in the body.

In other words, fasting protects you against many disease processes.

How to do a healthy detox

There are several effective methods to detoxify your body, including:

1.      Drink more water

Drinking adequate amounts of water is the best way to eliminate toxins and help your body cleanse itself.

You see, the body gets rid of toxins in three main ways:

  • Though renal filtration (i.e., urine)
  • Through the liver (i.e., faeces)
  • Via transpiration (i.e., sweating)

Water intake promotes detoxification through renal filtration. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR), the rate at which your kidneys filter water, depends on several factors, including how much liquids you consume.

Drinking enough water will optimize these filtration systems and eliminate the toxins more efficiently.

2.      Consume more antioxidants

Antioxidants are crucial compounds for the body to eradicate free radicals and prevent oxidative stress. Therefore, consuming enough of these substances is one of the best ways to eliminate toxins and waste products.

You can find these antioxidants in a variety of products (natural and synthetic). However, the best sources of antioxidants are fresh fruits and vegetables.

3.      Take dietary supplements

Researchers identified numerous dietary supplements with detoxifying properties.

Here are some of these supplements:

Each of these substances has detoxifying properties and potent anti-inflammatory action.

4.      Exercise more regularly

Exercise is an excellent activity to cleanse your body of toxins and promote weight loss.

Your heart rate and breathing frequency will increase when you perform strength training exercises or go for a jog. As a result, you will be sweating and exhaling more frequently.

This will accelerate detox and help cleanse your blood circulation and liver from harmful substances.

Exercising regularly will also increase your VO2 Max, typically low in obese people with digestive problems.

The best approach to exercise is by scheduling weight-lifting sessions with cardiovascular training.

5.      Sauna therapy

As mentioned above, sweating is a major way to eliminate toxins.

Sitting in a sauna with elevated temperatures will accelerate the process of sweat production, allowing your body to eliminate more waste products.

This is one of the most effective ways to detoxify your body passively without consuming any foods or supplements.

Disclaimer

For safety’s sake, you may want to speak with your primary care physician before taking new supplements, especially if you have concurrent medical conditions.

Takeaway message

Fasting and detox routines are essential to promote good health and slow ageing. There is a consensus among scientists about the benefits of these two approaches.

We hope that this article managed to shed some light on the benefits of fasting and detox.

If you have any questions or concerns about anything discussed above, please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts in the comment below.

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