Hello Teacher

I’m Roberto and I feel really happy because I’m going to talk about a subject that is very
interesting, and I also know a lot about this because I’m really curious of how works this
specific topic.

The topic I will be talking of this time is Intermittent fast and how it works on the body and the
improvement it gives to our entire life and how it became also a lifestyle and the fact that it is
based on scientific evidence. That’s why the Japanese cell biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi won the
Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2016 for his research on how cells recycle and renew their content,
a process called autophagy. Fasting activates autophagy, which helps slow down the aging
process and has a positive impact on cell renewal. So now you might be asking what is
autophagy. Well, let me explain you first

During starvation, cells break down proteins and other cell components and use them for
energy. During autophagy, cells destroy viruses and bacteria and get rid of damaged
structures. It’s a process that is critical for cell health, renewal, and survival.

What means that while you are not eating the organism goes through this state where you are
recycling all the bad protein and also taking energy from sugar and many more benefits for
your health.

Scientists have found that fasting for 12+ to 24+ hours triggers autophagy, and is thought to be
one of the reasons that fasting is associated with longevity. There is a large body of research
that connects fasting with improved blood sugar control, reduced inflammation, weight loss,
and improved brain function; Oshumi’s research provides some of the “how” to this research.
Exercise can also induce autophagy in some cells, allowing cells to start the repair and renewal
process.

“Sporadic short-term fasting, driven by religious and spiritual beliefs, is common to many
cultures and has been practiced for millennia, but scientific analyses of the consequences of
caloric restriction are more recent. Published studies indicate that the brain is spared many of
the effects of short-term food restriction, perhaps because it is a metabolically privileged site
that, relative to other organs, is protected from the acute effects of nutrient deprivation,
including autophagy. We show here that this is not the case: short-term food restriction
induces a dramatic upregulation of autophagy in cortical and Purkinje neurons … Our
observation that a brief period of food restriction can induce widespread upregulation of
autophagy in CNS neurons may have clinical relevance. As noted above, disruption of
autophagy can cause neurodegenerative disease, and the converse also may hold true:
upregulation of autophagy may have a neuroprotective effect.”

As research into autophagy has expanded, it has become clear that it is not simply a response
to starvation. It also contributes to a range of physiological functions, such as inhibiting cancer
cells and aging, eliminating pathogens and cleaning the insides of cells.

The Health Benefits of Fasting

The benefits of fasting must be preceded by a look at the body's progression when deprived of
food. Due to the lack of incoming energy, the body must turn to its own resources, a function
called autolysis. Autolysis is the breaking down of fat stores in the body in order to produce
energy. The liver is in charge of converting the fats into a chemical called a ketone body, "the
metabolic substances acetoacetic acid and beta-hydroxybutyric acid", and then distributing
these bodies throughout the body via the blood stream. "When this fat utilization occurs, free
fatty acids are released into the blood stream and are used by the liver for energy." (3) The less
one eats, the more the body turns to these stored fats and creates these ketone bodies, the
accumulation of which is referred to as ketosis.

Detoxification is the foremost argument presented by advocates of fasting. "Detoxification is a

normal body process of eliminating or neutralizing toxins through the colon, liver, kidneys,
lungs, lymph glands, and skin." This process is precipitated by fasting because when food is no
longer entering the body, the body turns to fat reserves for energy. "Human fat is valued at
3,500 calories per pound," a number that would lead one to believe that surviving on one
pound of fat every day would provide a body with enough energy to function normally. (2)
These fat reserves were created when excess glucose and carbohydrates were not used for
energy or growth, not excreted, and therefore converted into fat. When the fat reserves are
used for energy during a fast, it releases the chemicals from the fatty acids into the system
which are then eliminated through the aforementioned organs.

A second prescribed benefit of fasting is the healing process that begins in the body during a
fast. During a fast energy is diverted away from the digestive system due to its lack of use and
towards the metabolism and immune system. The healing process during a fast is precipitated
by the body's search for energy sources. Abnormal growths within the body, tumors and the
like, do not have the full support of the body's supplies and therefore are more susceptible to
autolysis. Furthermore, "production of protein for replacement of damaged cells (protein
synthesis) occurs more efficiently because fewer 'mistakes' are made by the DNA/RNA genetic
controls which govern this process." A higher efficiency in protein synthesis results in healthier
cells, tissues and organs.

Finally, the most scientifically proven advantage to fasting is the feeling of rejuvenation and
extended life expectancy. Part of this phenomenon is caused by a number of the benefits
mentioned above. A slower metabolic rate, more efficient protein production, an improved
immune system, and the increased production of hormones contributes to this long-term
benefit of fasting. In addition to the Human Growth Hormone that is released more frequently
during a fast, an anti-aging hormone is also produced more efficiently. "The only reliable way
to extend the lifespan of a mammal is under-nutrition without malnutrition."

Thank you for your attention teacher and have a good day