Cellular adaptation refers to the adaptation of cells in response to an adverse change in the cell’s environment or physiological conditions. Intermittent fasting for many is all about weight loss. However, new studies show that the benefits of intermittent fasting go beyond weight management, blood sugar regulation, and even stress reduction (Charboneau, 2019) . When fasting, the cell recognizes that there is food scarcity. This initiates and new process of burning fats in order to supply the body with the requisite levels of energy.
Metabolic switching in the cells triggers a form of cellular adaptation that makes the cells start using fat for energy. Normally, when one eats, the food is ingested and used by the body to produce energy. The extra glucose is turned into glycogen and stored by the body for later use. The other excess glucose is stored in the form of fat in the body (Welton et al., 2020) . While glycogen has limited storage capacity, fat has no limits and may lead to weight gain, obesity, high blood lipid levels, and increased blood pressure. Through intermittent fasting, the body can use up the fat in a manner that most diet plans are not able to do.
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Despite a clear understanding of the effects and physiological processes behind intermittent fasting, the benefits have been noted over time to be numerous. Studies have shown that obese patients who took up intermittent fasting have been able to lose weight faster than even their counterparts who took up strict dieting as a weight loss program. The burning of fat also helps enhance heart health through the reduction of blood lipid levels. In addition to the lower blood pressure, the cellular adaptation behind intermittent fasting has shown to have more health benefits than one could imagine.
References
Charboneau, M. (2019, December 26). The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting Go Beyond Weight Loss, Study Shows. Men’s Journal . https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/intermittent-fasting-johns-hopkins-study/
Welton, S., Minty, R., O’Driscoll, T., Willms, H., Poirier, D., Madden, S., & Kelly, L. (2020). Intermittent fasting and weight loss: Systematic review. Canadian Family Physician , 66 (2), 117–125.
