What Our Bodies Go Through At A Cellular Level During A Prolonged Fast

Fasting has been a part of human survival since the dawn of time. Even today, almost every religion practices fasting. Our ancestors experienced droughts, wars, and plagues of insects which resulted in hunger and starvation. Our bodies have the ability to adapt and benefit from low food availability. The benefits of fasting have a positive effect on weight loss, cancer prevention, and anti-aging.

It has only been the past few decades where our global food supply and convenient lifestyles made starvation a topic of history. So, today, we have to impose food scarcity upon ourselves to reap the therapeutic benefits.

In this article, we will be discussing what takes place at a cellular level during a prolonged fast of 72 hours.

When we eat, our body breaks down the carbohydrates, proteins and fats into some form of energy. This energy is either used or stored. The hormone that controls the amount of energy used and stored is called insulin. Our bodies store energy in two forms. The first one is glycogen, which is stored in the liver and muscles. This form of storage is limited. The second form is in the form of triglycerides in fat tissue and, unfortunately, there is no limit to the amount of fat that our bodies can store.

Stage 0 (0-12 hours)

At the beginning of a fast our bodies are digesting food and using the energy we just ate for cellular and tissue growth. The pancreas is secreting insulin and starts using up the glucose in your bloodstream and storing the excess in your cells.

Stage 1 (12-18 Hours)

The glucose supply is running low so our pancreas starts producing Glucagon to tell the liver to release the stored glycogen. Once the glycogen stores have been depleted, the insulin production starts falling and our bodies start using stored fat for energy.

Stage 2 (18-24 Hours)

This is when our bodies enter ketosis and our bodies continue to ramp up the burning of the fat stores to produce ketones for energy as there is no glycogen left. When our bodies break down fat it produces ketones for energy. This process also releases stored water so we end up urinating frequently. At around 24 hours our brain starts producing BDNF which translates to Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor. This supports the growth of brain neurons. We need brain neurons for our brains to stay healthy and functioning optimally.

Stage 3 (24-48 Hours)

During this phase the growth regulator mTOR goes down which starts the process of Autophagy which means self-eating. This is one of the main benefits of fasting as this is a cellular clean-up. Autophagy removes cellular material that may be contributing to cancer, chronic disease, brain dysfunction and aging. There is also an energy sensor called AMPK that gets produced which helps ramp up Autophagy.

Stage 4 (48-54 Hours)

During this phase Human Growth Hormone Surges which supports youthfulness and anti-aging. Also, during this time, inflammation falls.

Stage 5 (54-72 Hours)

At this phase our insulin is sensitizing which can help reverse Type II diabetes. Also autophagy reaches a peak and stays this high if fasting is continued.

Stage 6 (72+ Hours)

At this phase our bodies start forming stem cells which helps with anti-aging. Our bodies are also better equipped to respond to toxin exposure and stress.

The timing of these phases can be different for everyone and fasting should not be attempted without consulting your physician. You may not be aware that you are prediabetic and should be tested for this before starting a fast. It is best to start out with decreasing your window of time in which you are eating (intermittent fasting) over a few months prior to attempting a 72+ hour water fast.

Keeping a chart of the stages of fasting posted on the fridge can help get you through each phase.

Brielle Robinson MPT.