Food is the basic and most important need of the body for survival and many among us can’t even think of missing it for a single time. But, purposeful denial of this basic needs under controlled environment, which is know as fasting, is used as a therapeutic modality by Naturopaths since ages.This is taken as a surprise, or even considered as bogus by a large mass of scientific community ,till recently.But now, a lot of research based findings are getting poured from highly reputed universities and institutes which reveals the science of this ancient wisdom of healing. 

Recently a review article was published in the ‘New England Journal of Medicine ‘ on physiological impacts and benefits of fasting on health aging and disease.
As per the new findings , by doing Fasting – a temporary, voluntary abstinence from food – we are challenging the body to activate its survival instincts which are evolutionarily conserved. Researches have proved that these adaptive cellular responses elicits highly orchestrated systemic and cellular responses which have impacts on both physical and mental health, as well as in disease resistance and healing.

The immediate benefits of theaputic fasting is elicited by the formation and higher levels of nutritive ketone bodies ,from the stored triglycerides in our adipose tissues, which happens within about 12 hours after onset of fasting. This metabolic shift from Glucose to ketones results in many beneficial changes in the body which includes reduced production of carbon dioxide ( due to more efficient usage of oxygen ), positive regulation of expression and action of many proteins and molecules which influence health and disease, stimulation of more production of brain derived neurotrophic factors etc.
Fasting also inhibits the protein-synthesis pathway( known as mTOR), and stimulates autophagy (self-eating) which enables the cells to remove damaged proteins and mitochondria from cells and the recycling of molecular constituents.
Periodic fasting enables our body to overcome cell damaging factors and to restore homeostasis. It leads to increased expression of antioxidant defences, DNA repair, to improve protein quantity, formation of new mitochondria, activation of autophagy and by reduction in inflammatory factors.
The period of post fasting phase is also important and much beneficial , when supporting with nutritive food and adequate sleep, results in cell growth and plasticity, which leads to structural and functional remodelling of tissue. The long term adaptations to fasting induced changes results in increased insulin sensitivity, improved lipid metabolism and healthy gut microbiota, reduction in abdominal fat, inflammation and blood pressure.

These physiological benefits of theaputic fasting is clinically used in Naturopathy Hospitals, and when administered along with other Natural therapeutic modalities, under the guidance of a qualified Naturopath, results in prevention and in management of many chronic diseases ranging from Diabetics, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular conditions and even is early stages of certain cancers.