The authors of a recent study found that the practice of a 24-hour fast in young and adult mice improved the capacity for regeneration of intestinal stem cells.
Under exhaustive controls, fasting has benefits such as encouraging consumption of reserves, activation of the immune system, improvement of the lipid profile and helping to alleviate the effects of chemotherapy in processes to combat cancer, as well as positive effects on neuronal plasticity and increased capacity for self-control in anxiety situations.
Tania Mesa – Director of the Neolife Nutrition and Nursing Unit
Estefanía Schoendorff – Neolife Nutrition and Nursing Unit
Fasting and its countless benefits
Following a balanced, healthy diet adapted to the needs of individuals based on their preferences has shown to have a profound positive effect on human beings, not only ensuring that proper functioning of the organism is maintained, but also improving their quality of life, contributing to the prevention of disease and delaying the effects of aging.
There are many studies that can be found today in the scientific literature on the countless benefits of fasting. Under exhaustive controls, the practice of fasting has multiple benefits such as encouraging consumption of reserves, activation of the immune system, improvement of the lipid profile and helping to alleviate the effects of chemotherapy in processes to combat cancer, as well as positive effects on neuronal plasticity and increased capacity for self-control in anxiety situations.
The authors of a recent study published last month in the digital scientific journal Cell Stem Cell (1) discovered that the practice of a 24-hour fast in young and adult mice improves the capacity for regeneration of intestinal stem cells , even doubling this capacity. These cells are known for being responsible for maintaining the intestinal lining and regenerating in the event of infection or severe intestinal lesions, a capacity that gets lost over the years. During this fasting period to which the mice were subjected, the intestinal stem cells began to decompose the fatty acids rather than glucose to obtain energy.
Considering that, as people age, our overall regenerative capacities decrease and we need more time to recover from damage or injury, this study provides hope for future treatments aimed at acting directly on cell regeneration.
In another study (2), researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States discovered that they could activate this regenerative capacity through a molecule that drives the same metabolic change without having to carry out the practice of fasting. The conclusions from this study represent an important scientific breakthrough in the treatment of gastrointestinal infections in older people and in patients who undergo chemotherapy treatment for cancer, which in many cases involves significant damage to the intestinal cells.
At Neolife, we have been practicing fasting for years as one of the new habits taken on by our patients, aiming for superior performance in cellular metabolism that helps delay the progress of time.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
(1) https://www.cell.com/action/showMethods?pii=S1934-5909%2818%2930163-2
(2) https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180503142852.htm