Fasting and the benefits on stem cell regeneration

https://news.mit.edu/2018/fasting-boosts-stem-cells-regenerative-capacity-0503

OK ignore the “find a drug that mimics fasting” portion of this paper and focus just on the benefits of fasting.

“Fasting has many effects in the intestine, which include boosting regeneration as well as potential uses in any type of ailment that impinges on the intestine, such as infections or cancers,” says Omer Yilmaz, an MIT assistant professor of biology, a member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, and one of the senior authors of the study. “Understanding how fasting improves overall health, including the role of adult stem cells in intestinal regeneration, in repair, and in aging, is a fundamental interest of my laboratory.”

Why is fasting important? First, gut health is the key to overall good immune health. A healthy microbiome in the gut has a chain reaction of health benefits including illness prevention, ability to fight off viruses and bacteria, as well as allows for the growth of healthy gut bacteria.

Intestinal stem cells are responsible for maintaining the lining of the intestine, which typically renews itself every five days. When an injury or infection occurs, stem cells are key to repairing any damage. As people age, the regenerative abilities of these intestinal stem cells decline, so it takes longer for the intestine to recover. “Intestinal stem cells are the workhorses of the intestine that give rise to more stem cells and to all of the various differentiated cell types of the intestine. Notably, during aging, intestinal stem function declines, which impairs the ability of the intestine to repair itself after damage,” Yilmaz says. “In this line of investigation, we focused on understanding how a 24-hour fast enhances the function of young and old intestinal stem cells.” After mice fasted for 24 hours, the researchers removed intestinal stem cells and grew them in a culture dish, allowing them to determine whether the cells can give rise to “mini-intestines” known as organoids. The researchers found that stem cells from the fasting mice doubled their regenerative capacity.

It is hard to fast for 24 hours, but it is doable. ***caveat, this is not medical advice and I am not your medical provider, and fasting is not appropriate for everyone, consult your own trusted provider before doing it****. Ok legalities out of the way, it is easiest to start with a shorter fast and build up to longer. Even a 16-18 hour fast has numerous health benefits.

Protect your gut health!