Water Fasting – Is it really Healthy?

Hello All!!

The wellness world is filled with different kinds of fasting these days. You have intermittent fasting, alternate-day fasting and even water fasts.

Water fasts

For centuries people have been doing water fasts in different ways and for varying lengths of time. Water fasts are usually between 5 to 40 days and when you fast you can drink only water and not consume food. Several fasts and detoxes are inspired by the traditional water fast and they include – the cabbage soup cleanse and the lemon- cayenne pepper-maple syrup fast. Such fasts have a positive impact on blood pressure and help improve insulin levels and even help you lose weight.

How beneficial is water fasting?

Water fasts help the body in rebooting itself. The old or damaged cells get cleared out and are replaced with new ones. Scientific research says that by fasting you can improve digestion and enhance gut health which helps in the overall improvement of your body’s metabolism and other cardiometabolic conditions.

Studies have revealed that water fasting helps in weight loss, lowering blood pressure and reducing oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when excess of oxygen damages your cells. It is quite harmful to the body and causes excessive fatigue, pain in muscles and joints, wrinkles, grey hair, headaches, poor vision and reduced immunity. So it is important to fight oxidative stress.

How water fasting can harm you?

Water fasting for too many days can’t just be challenging but also dangerous. Water fasting should not be for more than 48 hours unless it is supervised by a medical practitioner. Research says that water fast has a lot of negative effects on your kidneys and it also reduces CoQ10 which is an enzyme (an antioxidant) naturally produced by cells and tissues.

Water fast when done over a long period of time can cause fatigue, brain fog and increase the chances of you fainting. Water fasts are a strict no-no for those who have kidney disease, are expecting mothers or nursing mothers. Also, if you consume several medications, it is advised that you stay away from water fasts.

How to get the benefits of water fasting?

Since water fast is not safe when done for a longer period of time without any medical supervision, it is best to avoid doing it. You can instead try intermittent fasting which provides you with all the benefits of water fasting without any hunger pangs and physical torture.

The take home message

When you explore the world of fasting, you will understand that fasting is an important form of detoxification which is a way of resetting and rebooting the body. You can go in for very short water fast, a detox or intermittent fasting. You have a lot of options to choose from. However, your focus should always been on staying safe and healthy in the long run.

What do you feel about water fasting?

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Saturday 23 February 2019