It seems that almost every week we are being blessed by more revelations of the benefits of intermittent fasting. As you may know, hyperinsulinemia (high blood levels of insulin) triggers many of the common chronic degenerative ailments of the day. Think arthritis, type II diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, autoimmune disorders and digestive issues to name a few. And as we know, intermittent fasting (IF) with proper eating is the most effective way to lower high persistent insulin levels.                   

Now comes a new ailment that can be added to the list that responds favorably to IF.  That ailment is cardiometabolic disease, one of the most prevalent disease issues of our time.

A relatively newly published paper reveals that intermittent fasting is very beneficial in:

1. Preserving normal cardiac structure and function
2. Maintaining cardiac energetics
3. Attenuating the effects of injurious stimuli and stress that affects the myocardium (heart muscle)
4. Benefiting the cardiometabolic parameters which lead to cardiac diseases
5. Playing a critical role in cellular nutrient regulation ensuring cellular survival in the heart
6. Decreasing cardiac inflammation 

In other words, we can now take a more effective proactive approach to managing and even reversing cardiovascular disease according to this paper. This breakthrough is a result of the discovery of the process called autophagy and how it (in a simple sense) actually cleans up the tissue of the heart. Think of autophagy as the process in which the cells of the body go through a multifaceted process of degrading cellular debris, toxins and microbes as well as also re-purposing proteins and nutrients to be reused by the cells. This process is performed by a structure in the cell called a lysosome. Think of a lysosome like your garbage disposal in your kitchen. Garbage goes in and is chewed up. The garbage is disposed of but the lysosome preserves the good stuff for reuse. This autophagy process is activated at the cellular level when insulin levels are lowered for a sufficient period of time by intermittent fasting. 

So as the evidence continues to mount, the question is not why but why isn’t everyone doing some form of intermittent fasting. To get started, check out my book, Aging Well, A Reality Now Possible Through Intermittent Fasting and Proper Eating.

Click here to read part 1