The matter in summary Researchers from Norway and Great Britain have studied what happens in the body during a week’s fasting. 12 healthy, voluntary participants were followed during a seven-day fasting period, during which they were only allowed to drink water. The major bodily changes only occurred after three days without food, which indicates that shorter fasting periods do not produce the same effects. A total of 1,000 proteins changed in all the major organs of the body as a result of the fasting period. The participants lost an average of 5.7 kilograms of weight as a result of the experiment, and three days after the fast was over, the lean mass had returned, while the fat mass did not disappear. The study is published in the journal Nature Metabolism. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Over the course of our history, humans have developed the ability to live without food for long periods of time. And fasting is practiced by millions worldwide for various reasons. Since ancient times, the method has been used to treat diseases such as epilepsy and arthritis. Now, in recent times, it has become a popular method to use to lose weight. But even though fasting is something people have been doing for thousands of years, we still know little about what actually happens in the body when we go without food for long periods. Researchers from, among others, Norway and Great Britain have tried to find out. They followed 12 healthy volunteers in a new study. These participated in a seven-day fasting period, during which they were only allowed to drink water. And the results gave the researchers some surprises. Fasted for seven days The 12 participants were carefully monitored every single day. During the study, approximately 3,000 different proteins in the blood of the volunteers were measured and analyzed. These measurements were taken both before, during and after the fast. – There is previous data that suggests that fasting has health effects, but very little is known about why the mechanisms of fasting are beneficial. In this study, we find proteins that may be interesting to investigate further, says Jørgen Jensen to news. He is a professor at Norway’s Sports Academy, and says there was one particular thing that was a little surprising. The researchers only saw the major physical changes after three days without food. – This means that people who fast every other day – or 16 hours a day – do not get the effects we have found, says Jensen. Jørgen Jensen is a professor at the Department of Physical Performance at the Norwegian Sports Academy. He is the initiator and project manager of the new study. Photo: University of Oslo – An effective way to lose weight This will be the first time that changes in so many proteins in the blood during fasting have been studied. According to the researchers, the study provides a thorough understanding of how a lack of calories affects our entire system. A total of 1,000 proteins changed in all the major organs of the body as a result of the fasting period. This was exactly the same among all participants. During the first 2-3 days after the fast started, the researchers saw that the participants changed their use of energy sources. It switched to burning more fat and less glucose, which is a natural progression. The volunteers lost an average of 5.7 kilograms in weight as a result of the experiment. Both in fat mass and in lean mass. Three days after the fast was over, the lean mass had returned. The fat mass was absent. – For the first time, we are able to see what happens in the body on a molecular level when we fast. When done in a safe way, this is an effective way to lose weight, says Claudia Langenberg in a press release. She is director of Queen Mary’s Precision Health University Research Institute in London and is part of the study. – The body is good at adapting Inge Lindseth is a clinical nutritionist and has more than 20 years’ experience in the field. He has a lot of focus on fasting in his work. Lindseth agrees that too little research has been done on the topic. – There have been very few direct comparative studies of different forms and lengths of fasting. The 5:2 diet is an example of a type of fasting that has not produced any particularly impressive effects. And in the light of this new study, it may be because such fasts are too short and contain too much protein. The nutritionist believes that repeated rounds of water fasting for a week can increase the risk of negative effects. For example, in terms of muscle mass. – Then five or seven days with some food intake during the fast may be better. But we must also remember how good the body is at adapting, he says. He thinks the findings are exciting. – The study suggests that long fasts at night are fundamentally different from multi-day fasts in a number of areas. And that when you first start a fast over several days, it may be a point to hold on for longer than just a couple of days. However, it remains to be seen what such measured differences have to say for the various diseases discussed by the authors, says Lindseth. They mention, among other things, arthritis and heart disease. Inge Lindseth is a clinical nutritionist. Among other things, he has written a book about the fasting-imitating diet. He also holds courses on the topic. Photo: Kjetil Solhøi Not something everyone should test The new study was primarily carried out because researchers want to understand more about what happens to the body during a fasting period. It’s not like they encourage anyone and everyone to go seven days without food. But Jørgen Jensen himself has fasted for eight days, and believes that someone can have a good experience by trying it. – If you are healthy and normal weight to slightly overweight, I consider it safe to fast for a week. So it’s not something I advise against. Many will probably also afterwards see what was a good experience, as well as be left with useful experience, says the professor. Nutritionist Lindseth does not agree here. – Seven days of water fasting must not take place without follow-up by health personnel. You can die if you break such a fast in the wrong way, although in practice there must be several unfortunate factors in place if this is to happen. The risk is very small. Want to do more research on the topic The researchers behind the new study hope the findings can be used as a kind of guide in future studies. And that one gradually finds new proteins that can be used in a treatment context. But the researchers are clear that this study consists of a small group of people, and therefore the results will not necessarily be representative of the effect on a varied and large population. More research is needed to map such effects. And according to Jørgen Jensen, they have more going on. The study is published in the journal Nature Metabolism.
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The body’s organs undergo systematic and major changes – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
