Today, I am well over half-way through a 40+ hour fast. Fasting increases animal longevity by 20-40%. It’s too early to tell if fasting extends human life. However, there are lots of testimonial data to support increased longevity and reduced age-related diseases in humans.
Increase human growth hormone (HGH) and longevity increases. One easy way, maybe not easy for all, is to fast. This means totally abstaining from any food or drink with calories. Test results from fasting for one day (24 hours) have shown that HGH levels increase nearly 2000%.
Assume you finished lunch at one p.m. Your body will continue to benefit from the meal you ate for several hours. It may take six or eight hours to fully digest everything you ate. I typically fast eighteen hours daily. That leaves me with an effective twelve-hour fast time. Fasting twelve hours causes HGH levels to rise 1000%. Twelve-hour or longer fasts are called intermittent fasts.
When we were teenagers, our production of HGH started to decline. We were approaching the end of our growth spurt from birth. HGH levels decline each decade after your 20’s. It is part of the aging process. It is normal. Intermittent fasting counters the aging effect by increasing our production of HGH.
While many people may not be able to fast more than forty hours at one time, they should be able to fast for twelve hours. If you go to bed three hours after eating and sleep six to eight hours, you nearly have twelve hours of intermittent fasting accomplished.
Fasting has other benefits. One is that it has been shown to increase the growth rate of brain cells and neurons, improve our cognitive skills, and decrease cardiovascular risk.
Insulin is the normal regulator of glucose metabolism for energy. When we fast, HGH takes over that function. The fuel source for our bodies changes from glucose to fat. During a fast, you are burning fat rather than glucose. Fat is broken down and releases free fatty acids and glycerol that is metabolized to produce energy. Burning fat means you are losing weight and inches.
As always, if you are under a doctor’s care or taking any prescription medicines, please consult your physician before beginning a fast.
