What happens to my body when I fast for 48 hours? Fasting for 48 hours
What happens to my body when I fast for 48 hours? Fasting for 48 hours
What happens to my body when I fast for 48 hours? Fasting for 48 hours
“Fast, you will wake up” is a saying that has begun to be adopted significantly in our societies with the aim of losing weight, especially after scientific studies have proven the positive benefits of fasting on the health of the body. From here, the ” Healthline ” website mentioned the effects of long fasting on the body, both positive and negative.
The benefits of fasting on one’s health
1- It slows down the aging of cells
Fasting helps in rejuvenating the body’s cells in a natural way, which helps prevent diseases and delay tissue aging.
2- It reduces inflammation
Scientific studies have shown that fasting for more than 24 hours reduces inflammation by reducing oxidative stress in body cells. Chronic inflammation increases the risk of cancer, heart problems, and rheumatoid arthritis.
3- It regulates blood sugar levels
Several studies have proven that fasting helps reduce insulin levels and improves insulin sensitivity in the body. Thus, it helps the body in transporting the amounts of sugar in the blood better in addition to increasing the process of burning fat.
What happens to my body when I fast for 48 hours?
4- It helps in losing weight
Fasting increases the metabolic rate by between 3.6 and 14%, or about 200 additional calories are burned daily, according to scientific studies.
The dangers of fasting for long hours
As for the dangers of fasting for 48 hours, they can be summarized as follows:
– Increases the incidence of headaches and dizziness
It causes fatigue as a result of a decrease in the proportion of carbohydrates stored in the body, which leads it to burn more fat for energy.
Of the categories prohibited from fasting? Fasting for 48 hours
In this context, doctors stress the need to consult a doctor if the fasting person suffers from specific diseases, for fear of worsening his health. Among these categories are:
– Patients with type 1 diabetes
– People with low blood pressure
Pregnant or breastfeeding women
How to reduce the side effects of fasting?
The individual resorts to following several steps to mitigate the effects of fasting for a continuous period, and among these recommended methods:
Drink important amounts of water and fluids to avoid dehydration and keep the body hydrated.
Drink black coffee or green tea to help reduce hunger levels.
Fasting for 48 hours
Intermittent fasting is a diet in which periods of fasting and eating occur alternately.
It has gained huge popularity in recent years due to its great health benefits such as increased insulin sensitivity, cell repair, and weight loss.
While short-term fasting is more common, some people prefer to fast for longer periods.
Fasting 48 hours is the longest period usually practiced with intermittent fasting, and despite its benefits, you should take into account the disadvantages that some may not tolerate.
In this article, we explain everything you need to know about the 48-hour fast, including how to do it and its benefits and drawbacks.
How do you fast for 48 hours?
In theory, fasting for 48 hours is simple – you just give yourself a full two-day break from eating. One popular method is to stop after dinner on the first day and start eating again around dinner time on the third day.
Contrary to popular belief, you can still drink calorie-free fluids, such as water, black coffee, and tea, during the fasting period.
It is important to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration, which is one of the main potential complications of this prolonged fast.
What happens to my body when I fast for 48 hours?
Then, it’s important to introduce the food gradually to avoid overstimulating your gut, which can lead to bloating, nausea and diarrhea.
Your first meal after fasting should be a light meal. This is followed by a small meal an hour or two later.
On non-fasting days, you will maintain your usual healthy eating pattern, making sure not to overindulge in high-calorie foods.
It is more common to fast for 48 hours 1-2 times per month as opposed to once or twice per week, as required by other intermittent fasting methods. Proper spacing of 48-hour fasting periods may provide greater health benefits.
Since a 48-hour fast is not recommended for everyone, you should try shorter fasts, such as 16:8 or cross-fasting methods, before doing a two-day fast. This will help you understand how your body responds to a lack of food
What happens to my body when I fast for 48 hours?
Health benefits of intermittent fasting for 48 hours
Although the health benefits of intermittent fasting are well documented, specific research on fasting for 48 hours is limited.
However, many studies examine prolonged fasting, which is defined as more than 24 hours.
Intermittent fasting may slow cell aging
Cellular repair is your body’s natural way of renewing its cells. It may help prevent disease and even delay tissue aging.
Improved cellular repair and delayed tissue aging have been shown to support overall longevity, although this research is mostly limited to animal studies.
However, several studies indicate that fasting for 48 hours can improve cellular repair more than other fasting methods.
Intermittent fasting may reduce inflammation
Temporary inflammation is a normal immune response, but chronic inflammation can have serious health consequences, such as cancer, heart disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Fasting for more than 24 hours may reduce inflammation by reducing oxidative stress in the body’s cells.
Intermittent fasting improves insulin sensitivity and blood sugar levels
Insulin acts as a storage hormone for carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Carbohydrates and fats are your body’s preferred source of energy.
During a fast of 24 hours or more, glycogen – the storage form of carbohydrates – is depleted and insulin levels drop. This allows your body to mostly burning fat for energy, making stored body fat more available for use.
Several studies suggest that different types of fasting, including a 48-hour fast, may reduce insulin levels. Furthermore, it improves insulin sensitivity, allowing your body to transport blood sugar more efficiently.
One study of 10 people with type 2 diabetes found that fasting for 12-72 hours reduced fasting blood sugar levels by up to 20% after a single fast.
Finally, fasting lasting longer than 24 hours may have additional benefits for blood sugar control beyond those associated with shorter fasting.
Intermittent fasting may help with weight loss
Intermittent fasting may increase weight loss, although there are no studies on 48-hour fasting specifically.
Fasting for 48 hours once or twice per month will reduce calorie intake by up to 8,000 calories per month, which may promote weight loss.
Just make sure you don’t make up for those calories lost during eating periods.
However, fasting has been shown to increase the metabolic rate by 3.6-14%, which translates to burning an additional 100-275 calories per day. This effect appears to diminish if you fast for more than 72 hours.
Since the 48-hour fast should only be done 1-2 times per month, it may be best for individuals who prefer to fast less but still want to lose weight.
Disadvantages of intermittent fasting for 48 hours
It is also important to be aware of the negative aspects of the 48-hour fast.
This period is not suitable for everyone. The longer you fast, the more likely side effects will occur.
If you feel tired, stop fasting.
Hunger and dizziness
The main disadvantage of the 48-hour fast is extreme hunger, although many people claim that this feeling is temporary.
In one study of 768 people who fasted for at least 48 hours, 72% of participants experienced side effects, including hunger, fatigue, insomnia, and dizziness.
Fatigue and laziness
During fasting, stored carbohydrates decrease after 24 hours, prompting the body to burn fat for energy.
As such, you may feel lethargic after the first 24 hours, especially if this is your first time trying a longer fast.
Because of its duration, sticking to a 48-hour fast may be more difficult than sticking to other fasting methods. Try to start with shorter intervals, especially if you are concerned about fatigue
Groups at risk during intermittent fasting for 48 hours
While fasting may benefit your health in general, it is not for everyone.
Those with certain medical conditions should consult their doctor before fasting, while others should not fast at all.
Many people should not engage in the 48-hour fast, including:
- People with type 1 diabetes
- People with low blood pressure
- Those who are underweight or have a history of eating disorders
- Women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to conceive, or have a history of menopause
- Those who take certain medications, such as insulin, blood pressure, blood thinners, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). If you are taking any medications, be sure to check with your healthcare practitioner before beginning the fast.
What happens to my body when I fast for 48 hours?
Finally
, fasting for 48 hours may provide many benefits, including enhanced cell repair, weight loss, and insulin sensitivity.
However, because there are so many ways to do intermittent fasting, some may work better than others. It is recommended that you try a shorter fast first to avoid any serious side effects.
In general, if you love fasting, it can become an integral part of your healthy routine.
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