In one’s quest to find solutions to help live a long and disease-free life, numerous theories and suggestions have been declared. Intermittent fasting has gained much notoriety over the past year, and according to leading health experts, this type of eating could be the answer to helping you boost your life longevity. How?
When finding benefits of the diet, looking at different countries who adopt this way of eating as a norm often helps.
Residents of Okinawa are known for their extreme longevity and low-calorie, nutrient-rich diet.
Their way of eating has been suggested to help contribute to their long-life spans, low number of obesity and reduced risk of diseases.
Professor Mattson says studies have shown that this switch improves blood sugar regulation, increases resistance to stress and suppresses inflammation.
The professor notes that four studies in both animals and people found intermittent fasting also helped to decrease blood pressure, blood lipid levels and resting heart rates.
Preliminary studies suggest that intermittent fasting could benefit brain health too.
A clinical trial at the University of Toronto found that 220 healthy adults who maintained a calorie restricted diet for two years showed signs of improved memory in a battery of cognitive tests.
Professor Mattson added: “Patients should be advised that feeling hungry and irritable is common initially and usually passes after two weeks to a month as the body and brain become accustomed to the new habit.”
Mattson suggests a gradual acclimation to fasting rather than going cold turkey will help with this.
Mattson also hopes this study will give better insight to physicians, who can pass that guidance on to their patients.
For an added benefit, eating a Mediterranean diet during the eating phase could not only boost longevity but improve heart health too.