Fasting can help increase life expectancy

Longevity is a goal many people everywhere in the world strive for. Diet is one of the ways to achieve longevity, and a report reveals that a way to increase life expectancy lies not in what to eat but when to eat.

Diet has played a big part in a person’s life expectancy, and the healthier the food, or at the very least, low-fat, then the bigger the chances of having an increased life expectancy. Along with diet, how much exercise one does can also increase their life expectancy. But, Express reports that another way to increase life expectancy lies when to eat, and intermittent fasting can help a person live longer and healthier.

A review of several studies of both animals and humans found that intermittent fasting can help lower the risk of developing serious conditions such as heart disease, weight loss, and lower blood pressure levels. It may even help promote cellular health. These findings can help doctors prescribe this as a preventative measure for more risks such as obesity and cancer. Neuroscience Professor Mark Mattson of John Hopkins University and author of the study explained that there are a few kinds of intermittent fasting.

Mattson explained that one of which is the time-restricted kind of fast which limits eating times to six to eight hours a day and fasting for 16 to 18 hours. There is also the 5:2 ratio of intermittent fasting which means the person fasts for two days a week, usually only eating up to 500 calories, while eating normally in the rest of the days. As to how fasting can help improve one’s overall health, he says that it can trigger metabolic switching. “In metabolic switching, cells use up their fuel stores and convert fat into energy,” says Mattson.

Meanwhile, other lifestyle choices can contribute to whether or not a person can have a long and healthy life. Experts highly advise engaging in regular exercise, aiming for at least 2.5 hours of exercise every day, as well as eating healthier food which is high in fiber and low in fat, steering clear or at least reducing intake of alcohol and avoiding smoking tobacco completely.

However, those are just some factors that could contribute to longevity as mental health is also important. Those who are happier, or who are healthy mentally can also have an increased life expectancy.