Dr Michael Mosley shares five benefits to intermittent fasting

Dr Michael Mosley has explained five benefits of using intermittent fasting – and not for just losing weight.

Dr Michael Mosley and the team at The Fast 800 have shared five health benefits of intermittent fasting. He has popularised the use of fasting on the 5:2 and The Fast 800 diets as simple, tried and tested methods to help Brits lose weight.

The TV medical figure has people up and down the country recalibrate their lifestyles to set them onto a healthier path. One method he swears by and has popularized over the past decade is intermittent fasting.

The idea is that intermittent fasting done regularly can help you lose weight gradually in an effective way. The Very Fast 800 involves eating 800 calories a day by feeling satiated, while restricting calories following a moderately low-carb Mediterranean-style diet, rich in protein, fibre and healthy fats.

On the 5:2, you’ll fast for two days (consuming only 800 calories), and follow a healthy Mediterranean-style diet for the rest of the week, with no calorie restriction, just sensible portions. Taking the official Instagram account of The Fast 800, the team shared some of the knowledge and benefits behind the weight loss technique. These include

Burns fat

The team wrote: “We all use two different types of fuel to function: glucose and fat. If you eat constantly throughout the day, your body gets a continual source of glucose from food to fuel your muscles. Any excess is then stored as fat.

“However, when you spend some time fasting, the glucose supply temporarily runs out, and your body has to switch to taking fat from your fat stores to burn as fuel.”

Reduces risk of type 2 diabetes

They wrote: “Intermittent fasting has been recognised to significantly improve insulin sensitivity and, as a result, reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. When you eat regularly, and for long periods of time, the food you eat breaks down into blood sugars (glucose), which your pancreas then produces insulin to regulate. Over time, as more insulin is produced to control blood sugars, your body becomes resistant to it.”

Boosts energy levels

They said: “You might expect to feel tired and lethargic if you haven’t eaten for 12 hours. However, intermittent fasting trips your body over into fat burning mode – and fat is a highly efficient fuel for your body and brain.

Improves heart health 

The team wrote: “By helping you lose weight and lowering your blood sugar levels, intermittent fasting can also improve your heart health. Studies show it can reduce blood pressure and make your body more efficient at clearing fat from the blood after a fatty meal so reducing your risk of heart disease.”

Helps you sleep better

“Going to bed with a relatively empty stomach enables internal clocks in your digestive system to align with the clock in your brain so all your systems agree to go offline,” they said. “It can also cause levels of the sleep promoting hormone, melatonin, to rise, which can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.

“It also promotes the release of human growth hormone, one of your body’s vital resources to repair while you’re asleep.”