Intermittent fasting is one of the easiest ways of building muscle, decreasing body fat and increasing your energy. And by triggering the cellular cleansing process of autophagy, intermittent fasting also improves your life span – and makes your skin look smoother and younger.
Specifically, intermittent fasting can trigger autophagy, a "self-cleaning" process that clears out old, damaged cells and proteins to make room for new, healthy ones. And autophagy comes with loads of potential benefits1 , including enhanced brain health, blood sugar control—and, yep, glowing skin.
Some studies found a strong relationship between a fasting type diet and acne in human adults and young subjects. In fact, during the period of caloric restriction, sebum level was found to be reduced by 40%, which influenced the degree of acne severity [64,65].
The theory behind skin fasting Your skin produces an oily substance called sebum that helps prevent moisture loss. The idea behind “fasting” is to let the skin “breathe.” It's thought that cutting out products will let the skin neutralize and sebum naturally moisturize.
Collagen production was found to be specifically decreased by acute fasting and the mechanism of this effect was studied.
More specifically, fasting can help reduce wrinkles, one of the most dreaded side-effects of aging. This is because fasting activates DNA-repair genes in the body that help reduce inflammation in the body. Fasting also leads to the production of somatropin, which helps minimize wrinkles and fine lines.
As mentioned earlier, fasting can have a positive effect on tightening loose skin. That's because fasting is one of the best ways to help induce autophagy throughout your body.
Although some scientists believe that, theoretically, autophagy slows with age and fasting may increase it, we have not yet verified these findings in humans. Additionally, we haven't fully clarified the mechanisms driving the longer lifespans in mouse studies and how they're tied to aging (Barbosa, 2019).
Speaking at the Facial Aesthetic Conference and Exhibition (FACE), she explained that after a 4-5 days of fasting the body starts to clean out the dead cells and boost its new stem cell production. The result: fresher looking skin.
Similar to how our bodies can eat away at unnecessary skin cells from loose skin through the process of autophagy, the appearance of aging is also slowed (and many say can even be reversed to an extent) when we activate this mechanism of clearing out old cellular parts – therefore revealing more youthful, vibrant skin.
Fasting boosts the body's metabolism which makes it easier for your body to break down food and burn calories which in turn leads to weight loss, and a much younger appearance.
Intermittent fasting makes your skin healthy and lends it a glow, because it lowers down your blood sugar levels, improves your insulin sensitivity. Your skin health is also connected to your mental health. Stress and skin are connected!
Once in a while, your skin too needs a break from the routine to replenish its natural texture. Skin fasting makes this possible. Skin fasting implies the concept of detoxifying your skin to let it function more effectively and enhance its natural radiance.
What is this? Fasting for a week may result in adverse health and metabolic changes such as dehydration, a loss of lean muscle mass, hyperuricemia, hyponatremia, protein-sparing, sodium, and potassium-sparing, decreased serum calcium and magnesium levels, and acidic urine.
Exercising during intermittent fasting is a healthy way for you to burn more fat and build muscle. As you fast, your body produces more human growth hormone (HGH) and testosterone while battling insulin resistance. Together, this recipe helps you build more muscle, recover faster, and maintain your gains.
“Think of autophagy as a Roomba inside your cells, cleaning and clearing damaged parts,” says Whittel. “When autophagy functions optimally, it works to clear away the cellular junk that can lead to fat and wrinkles.”
Fasting regimes increase fat burning, which can lead to less cellulite, resulting in smoother skin on the buttocks and thighs. Fasting regimes reduce oxidative stress, which can reduce the negative effects on many of the various skin cells and proteins that increase aging.
A key sign of autophagy is reduced appetite. It's likely due to changed levels of hormones like glucagon and insulin. Specifically, levels of glucagon tend to increase during autophagy. Glucagon helps manage your blood sugar levels and has been shown to suppress appetite ( 6 , 10 , 11 ).
Fortunately, autophagy has a direct effect on skin aging, and inducing the process can help tighten your skin and reduce the amount of loose skin on your body. It supports the processes that keep your skin more elastic and able to tighten up faster.
A complete body detox would require from 1 to 10 days of water and smoothie fasting. Make smoothies from fresh vegetables, and replace meals with these drinks throughout the day. Drink water as usual in between to stay optimally hydrated.
How long do you have to fast for autophagy to occur? Studies involving animals suggest that autophagy may begin between 24 to 48 hours of fasting.
Studies have shown that autophagy may take two to four days of fasting in humans. It is believed that autophagy does not begin until the glucose and insulin levels drop considerably. Some experts suggest starting with 32 to 48 hours; 72-hour fast autophagy pushes the limits for most humans but can be possible.
Autophagy can help remove cellular waste and keep genes stable within a cell. It may also help get rid of aging cells and decrease inflammation in the body.
Good news for coffee drinkers regarding coffee and autophagy! A study has shown that both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee may be helpful in inducing autophagy, specifically in the heart and muscle. Coffee can help mimic caloric restriction, which may be one of the reasons it can be helpful in triggering autophagy.