This is What Intermittent Fasting LONG TERM Does to Your Body

Summary

The video script discusses the benefits of intermittent fasting for longevity, as recognized by the National Institute of Aging. It emphasizes that the advantages are not just weight loss but also metabolic switching, leading to improved health and resilience. The script cites studies showing fasting's positive impact on genes like PGC-1α, which boosts mitochondrial biogenesis, and on factors like brain-derived neurotropic factor, enhancing cognitive function. It also highlights fasting's role in reducing the risk of heart failure and improving cardiovascular health. The speaker recommends trying fasting for better overall health and lifespan.

Takeaways

• 📢 The National Institute of Aging recognizes fasting as beneficial for longevity and health.
• 🔍 The benefits of intermittent fasting are not just from weight loss but also from metabolic switching.
• 🧬 Fasting triggers ketone formation, which can act as signaling molecules to change gene expression and promote health.
• 🌟 The gene PGC-1α is activated during fasting, leading to increased mitochondrial biogenesis and potentially more efficient fat burning.
• 💪 Fasting may help in the production of new collagen and connective tissue, supporting joint health.
• 🧠 Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression is increased with fasting, which is crucial for brain function and new neuron creation.
• 💓 Fasting can improve cardiovascular health by positively affecting blood pressure, heart rate, and lipid levels.
• 🛡️ A study showed that individuals who fasted weekly had a 45% lower mortality rate compared to non-fasters.
• 🧬 Fasting can lead to the activation of certain metabolites and preservation of muscle mass, combating sarcopenia.
• 🐛 Research on nematodes suggests that fasting can improve mitochondrial plasticity, which is linked to increased lifespan and metabolic health.

Q & A

What is the National Institute of Aging's stance on fasting and longevity?

The National Institute of Aging recognizes fasting as beneficial for longevity and acknowledges its lasting results, as discussed in a study published in the New England Medical Journal.

What is the main benefit of intermittent fasting according to the transcript?

The main benefit of intermittent fasting is not weight loss, but rather metabolic switching, which triggers positive metabolic changes and cascades in the body.

How does ketone formation during fasting contribute to health benefits?

Ketone formation during fasting acts as a signaling device that can change gene expression and potentially make the body healthier for a long time after exposure.

What is the role of PGC1A in the context of fasting and health?

PGC1A, when activated by fasting, increases mitochondrial biogenesis, leading to more energy factories in cells, which can ultimately help in burning more fat.

What does the transcript say about the effects of fasting on collagen and connective tissue?

Fasting increases the expression of fibroblast growth factor, which is essential for creating new collagen and connective tissue, potentially combating age-related issues.

How does fasting affect brain health according to the transcript?

Fasting increases the expression of brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), which is crucial for brain function, creating new brain cells, and enhancing cognitive performance.

What is the significance of the 58-hour fasting study mentioned in the transcript?

The 58-hour fasting study showed significant metabolic alterations, including an increase in leucine, isoleucine, and ophthalmic acid, which are important for preventing muscle wasting and sarcopenia associated with aging.

What are the cardiovascular benefits of fasting as discussed in the transcript?

Fasting has been shown to improve blood pressure, resting heart rate, triglyceride levels, stabilize HDL and LDL levels, support healthy glucose levels, and reduce insulin levels, all of which contribute to better cardiovascular health.

How does fasting affect the parasympathetic tone and heart rate variability?

Fasting enhances the parasympathetic tone, improving the body's ability to switch between sympathetic and parasympathetic states, which in turn improves heart rate variability and the heart's response to stressors.

What is the significance of mitochondrial plasticity in the context of fasting and aging?

Mitochondrial plasticity, which involves the ability of mitochondria to switch between fused and fragmented states, is improved by fasting. This improvement is linked to better energy production and is crucial for preventing metabolic disorders and promoting longevity.

What recommendation does the speaker have for those who are not currently fasting?

The speaker suggests that those who are not fasting might consider incorporating periodic fasting, such as a once-a-week fast, into their routine for potential long-term health and lifespan benefits.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Intermittent Fasting for Longevity

The speaker expresses excitement over the National Institute of Aging's recognition of fasting as beneficial for longevity. They have been advocating for intermittent fasting since losing 100 pounds and will discuss high-level studies on its long-term effects without delving into complex biochemistry. The main benefits of fasting, according to a New England Medical Journal study, are not from weight loss but from metabolic switching. This means that the body's response to fasting induces positive metabolic changes beyond just shedding pounds. The speaker emphasizes ketone formation during fasting, which can act as signaling molecules to alter gene expression and potentially enhance health. The discussion highlights three genes influenced by fasting: PGC-1α, which increases mitochondrial biogenesis for more energy production; fibroblast growth factor, which promotes collagen and connective tissue creation; and brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which supports brain function and new neuron generation. The speaker also mentions the benefits of fasting for cardiovascular health, citing studies from the journal Circulation.

05:00

💓 Fasting and Cardiovascular Health

The speaker discusses the impact of fasting on cardiovascular health, referencing studies published in the journal Circulation. One study observed 2,000 individuals who underwent cardiac catheterization surgery, comparing Latter-day Saints who practice weekly 24-hour fasts with non-fasters. After five years, the fasting group showed a 45% lower mortality rate. Another study focused on individuals with myocardial infarction and heart failure, finding that the fasting group had 71% less incidence of heart failure. The speaker attributes these benefits to fasting's ability to improve blood pressure, heart rate, triglyceride levels, and glucose levels, as well as reduce insulin levels and combat oxidative damage linked to atherosclerosis. They also mention that fasting enhances parasympathetic tone, improving heart rate variability and the heart's response to stress. The speaker concludes with two additional studies: one showing metabolic alterations and preservation of muscle mass in individuals who fasted for 58 hours, and another demonstrating that periodic fasting in nematodes improved mitochondrial plasticity and lifespan, suggesting potential rejuvenating effects of fasting on aging.

Keywords

💡Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern where individuals cycle between periods of fasting and eating. It is the central theme of the video, with the speaker discussing its benefits for longevity and health. The script mentions that the speaker has been advocating for intermittent fasting for nine years after losing 100 pounds using this method.

💡National Institute of Aging

The National Institute of Aging is a government site that, according to the script, recognizes fasting as beneficial for longevity. This serves as a credible source that supports the video's advocacy for fasting practices.

💡Metabolic Switching

Metabolic switching refers to the body's process of shifting its energy source from glucose to ketones during fasting. It is highlighted in the script as the primary benefit of fasting, rather than just weight loss. The video explains that this metabolic shift can lead to positive health outcomes.

💡Ketones

Ketones are molecules produced by the body during fasting when glucose levels are low. The script discusses how ketone formation during fasting has powerful effects on the body, acting as signaling devices that can change gene expression and potentially enhance health.

💡Mitochondrial Biogenesis

Mitochondrial biogenesis is the process of increasing the number of mitochondria in cells, which are the energy-producing structures. The script explains that intermittent fasting activates PGC-1α, leading to mitochondrial biogenesis, which in turn can increase fat burning and improve metabolic health.

💡Fibroblast Growth Factor

Fibroblast growth factor is mentioned in the script as a substance that stimulates the creation of new collagen and connective tissue. This is important as it is associated with aging, and fasting may help maintain levels of this factor, thus potentially combating age-related issues.

💡Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)

BDNF is a protein that supports the growth of new neurons and plays a role in learning and memory. The video emphasizes that fasting can increase BDNF levels, which is beneficial for brain function and cognitive health.

💡Cardiovascular Health

Cardiovascular health is the focus of studies discussed in the script, which show that fasting can lead to improved heart health and reduced mortality rates. The video connects fasting practices with better blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol levels.

💡Parasympathetic Tone

Parasympathetic tone refers to the ability of the body to balance between the sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous systems. The script suggests that fasting can enhance this tone, leading to better heart rate variability and stress response.

💡Mitochondrial Plasticity

Mitochondrial plasticity is the ability of mitochondria to change between fused and fragmented states, which is crucial for efficient energy production. The video mentions a study where fasting improved mitochondrial plasticity in nematodes, potentially contributing to a longer lifespan.

💡Sarcopenia

Sarcopenia is the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength. The script discusses how fasting might help preserve muscle mass by increasing levels of certain amino acids, thus potentially preventing sarcopenia.

Highlights

The National Institute of Aging recognizes fasting as beneficial for longevity and has lasting results.

Intermittent fasting has been personally effective for weight loss and health benefits.

Studies show that the main benefits of fasting are due to metabolic switching, not just weight loss.

Fasting triggers ketone formation, which has powerful effects on gene expression and health.

Fasting activates the gene PGC1A, which increases mitochondrial biogenesis and energy production.

Fibroblast growth factor is increased by fasting, promoting new collagen and connective tissue.

Brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) expression is enhanced by fasting, supporting brain function and new brain cells.

Fasting improves cardiovascular health by stabilizing blood pressure, heart rate, and lipid levels.

A study shows that weekly 24-hour fasts reduce mortality rate by 45% over five years.

Fasting reduces the incidence of heart failure by 71% compared to non-fasting individuals.

Fasting enhances parasympathetic tone, improving heart rate variability and stress response.

A 58-hour fast study found significant metabolic alterations, including an increase in leucine, isoleucine, and ophthalmic acid.

Increased levels of certain metabolites during fasting may preserve muscle and counteract sarcopenia.

Fasting improves mitochondrial plasticity, which is linked to increased lifespan in nematode studies.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a root cause of metabolic disorders, and fasting can help correct this.

The science supports the idea that periodic fasting can improve overall health and lifespan.

Transcripts

what do i know i'm just some guy on the

internet but i will tell you that

now the national institute of aging

which is actually a government site

in 2020 is recognizing fasting as

something that

truly is good for longevity and

something that has a lasting results

i'm beyond stoked on this to be

completely honest because i've been

talking about intermittent fasting for

the last nine years ever since i lost

100 pounds with it

and i've been trying to just speak from

the mountaintops on how awesome it is

anyhow

we're going to go through quite a few

studies in this but they're all going to

be very high level we're not going to

get into crazy biochemistry

this is going to help you understand the

long lasting effects

of even just a little bit of

intermittent fasting alright so let's go

ahead and let's have some fun with this

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these days

anyhow let's dive in now this national

institute of aging mainly looked at a

new england medical journal study

and it determined that the main benefits

from internet and fasting that are long

lasting

are actually not a result of the weight

loss they're more so a result

of metabolic switching in clinical and

preclinical situations now what that

means

is that yes when you fast you probably

will lose weight i would be very

surprised if you didn't lose weight

but that's actually not the bigger

benefit the weight

loss is not what is triggering all the

positive metabolic cascades and

metabolic changes that you're having

it's actually the metabolic switching

it's actually the switching over to a

stressful period of time during your

fast

so let's talk about what that really

means and looks like you're going to

hate me saying this but when you're

fasting you have ketone formation

you are producing ketones now it's

actually pretty wild that this national

institute of aging

touts the benefits of ketones so much

because generally we kind of get that

swept under the rug but anyway point is

ketone formation periodically during

periodic fasting has powerful effects

when it comes down to

how it triggers different responses in

the body okay

it's one thing to look at ketones as a

fuel source that's

one thing okay it's another thing when

you look at ketones as signaling devices

that

change our gene expression and

potentially make us healthier

for a long time after just one exposure

to said ketones

this study even said and i partially

quote here repeated exposure to fasting

periods

is beneficial because of the lasting

adaptive response so by switching over

to fasting

you're forcing the body to utilize fats

which forces an adaptive response and

makes the cells more resilient

and just more universally able to create

energy i want to talk real quick the

three

genes that it's making a big effect on

and i know you hear genes and genetics

and it's probably scaring you

but i'm gonna make this so simple okay

the point is is that when you go through

just a periodic

little bit of fasting you have the

activation of one thing called pgc1a

pgc1a increases what is called

mitochondrial biogenesis the

mitochondria is where you produce energy

in your

cells okay and if you increase

mitochondrial density it means you're

creating

more mitochondria which means more

energy factories

okay more energy factories can use more

fat ultimately make you burn more fat

this is changing things at a genetic

level to produce more mitochondria

mitochondrial biogenesis pgc1a

seems to go down quite a bit in

individuals with metabolic dysfunction

which is very common

okay second is fibroblast growth factor

fibroblast growth factor

is the impetus for your body to create

new collagen

and create new connective tissue another

thing associated with aging right as we

get older we worry about our fat

accumulation

we worry about our metabolic health we

worry about our joints

okay so we could potentially correct

this

then another thing is it increases the

expression of what is called brain

derived neurotropic factor

which is a tremendous thing when it

comes down to helping your brain

function

and creating new brain cells and operate

at your absolute cognitive best

so again we look at the things we're

concerned with as we age our metabolism

our weight our overall joint health and

of course

our brains fun fact if you want to see

some science that looks at bdnf

and fasting and really being able to get

the most out of your brain when it comes

to fasting

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tropic factor

so really cool it's what i use when i'm

fasting and i need to use my brain a lot

so

really really really cool stuff plus a

ton of other benefits as well so highly

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you can check them out get a special

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they're a big support of this channel so

thank you for sigmatic

thanks for making my fasts awesome and

thanks for making everyone else that

watches these videos is fast awesome

let's jump over to some longevity stuff

in the world of cardiovascular health

two studies published in the journal

circulation

the first one took a look at 2 000

individuals

that went through cardiac

catheterization surgery these 2

000 individuals were latter-day saints

individuals

now some latter-day saints individuals

practice weekly 24-hour fasts

so ultimately what they did is they

divided them into two groups those that

fast and those that don't

okay so one group did a 24-hour fast

weekly

it turns out after five years those that

did the 24 hour fast weekly had a 45

less mortality rate than those that did

not fast

i'll let that sink in for a moment while

i move on to the next study also

published in the journal circulation

took a look at individuals with

myocardial infarction okay so a heart

attack

versus heart failure okay same kind of

thing fasting versus non-fasting

both groups had the same instance of

heart attacks

but 71 percent less instance of heart

failure in the fasting group

why is this let's break it down for just

a minute well first of all intermittent

fasting has been demonstrated to improve

blood pressure

it helps your resting heart rate it

helps triglyceride levels

it seems to stabilize hdl and ldl levels

it helps support healthy glucose levels

it helps reduce insulin levels all

things that are ultimately

involved in cardiovascular issues right

not to mention ends up combating the

reactive oxygen species the oxidative

damage that can

end up contributing to atherosclerosis

so i think we have

pretty much a cumulative buildup of just

good things that come from fasting that

have a positive effect on potential

heart failure i'm not a doctor i'm very

careful not to make claims here

but we have to look at the evidence and

again we're seeing this even posted on

government sites now okay pretty cool

stuff another thing that's interesting

is it enhances what is called the

parasympathetic tone

parasympathetic tone means the body has

an ability to switch back and forth

between sympathetic and parasympathetic

a lot easier

improving your heart rate variability

this means that

your heart can respond to a stressor a

lot better

it can change its pace it doesn't have a

lag time i've done plenty of videos on

heart rate variability if you want to

check those out

two other studies i want to talk about

when it comes down to fasting and aging

and sort of the long-term effects first

one was published in scientific reports

it took a look at metabolic alterations

on individuals that went into a longer

58-hour fast so they measured their

blood at like 10 hours somewhere

mid-fast and then at the end of the fast

they found that there was 44

active metabolites in their blood that

weren't there before

demonstrating huge adaptation occurring

huge adaptation

and big changes also noticed a lot more

leucine

isoleucine and ophthalmic acid in the

blood

why is this important well as we age we

see

steady declines of leucine isoleucine

and ophthalmic acid

indicating that our bodies are breaking

down muscle more than likely

and we're probably going to develop

what's called sarcopenia which is

natural

muscle wasting as we age there's also a

lot of link between

muscle wasting and atrophy and disease

states and mortality

so if we have increased levels of

leucine in the blood then maybe it means

that we're preserving some muscle and

it's a pretty strong indicator that

fasting could have powerful rejuvenation

effects

that improve aging then lastly there's a

study that's published in the journal

cell metabolism

now this was done on nematodes now if

you're in the scientific world you know

that nematodes are used in lifespan

studies because they possess

similar attributes as far as dna and

genes to humans

but they can kind of like shrink down

lifespan studies

they found that by depriving them of

food it would allow what is called the

mitochondrial plasticity to improve

from its fuse state to its fragmented

state so mitochondria operate

really well the energy factories when

they alternate between their two

fused and fragmented states if they get

locked in one state

they end up being um sort of immune to

like

fat utilization what that means is they

don't burn a fuel

as well we need them to constantly

switch it turns out that the lifespan

of these nematode worms was greatly

improved

by adding periodic fasting in because it

improved this mitochondrial

plasticity mitochondrial dysfunction is

the root of a lot of metabolic disorder

it's the root of a lot of just our

dysfunctional metabolism in general

so if we can start correcting that

mitochondrial dysfunction via periods of

fasting

then we can put ourselves in a great

spot okay so the science is really

getting clear now and i think that if

you're not fasting you might want to

give it a shot doesn't mean you have to

make it a full-blown lifestyle but a

periodic fast once a week or so

might be really darn good for your

overall lifespan and just your overall

health long term

as always keep it locked and here my

channel i'll see you tomorrow