Under normal circumstances, sugar is the primary energy source in the body, which is stored in the liver and muscles. During fasting, this stored sugar produces the energy the body needs. After the sugar is used up, fat becomes the next energy source. Eating a nutritious meal at Suhoor is important. Before fasting from sunrise to sunset.
Until now, some people may think that fasting is one of the rituals undertaken only to fulfill the requirements of religion or tradition. But who would have thought there are many health benefits behind fasting, ladies? So what are the health benefits of fasting? Let's take a look at the discussion.
Here are some benefits of fasting that are great for maintaining a healthy body:
1. It helps improve medical conditions
Fasting with a healthy diet before and after is said to help improve the condition of obesity, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular and neurological disorders. This is because fasting is beneficial for increasing insulin and leptin sensitivity, reducing inflammation, and lowering body fat, resting heart rate, and blood pressure.
2. Maintain weight
Fasting can increase the body's metabolism, increasing the body's burning of calories and fat. This can cause weight loss. That way, you also avoid the risk of certain diseases, such as hypertension, stroke, heart disease, and obesity.
3. Maintain mental health
Not only good for physical health, but fasting is also beneficial for mental health. The reason is that fasting can help lower levels of the stress or cortisol hormone and boost good endorphins to relieve anxiety. This is believed to be related to the effect of fasting, which can improve the body's metabolism.
4. Lower blood pressure
Fasting can affect blood pressure. The reduction in blood pressure mainly occurs during the first week of fasting. According to research published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) in 2017, research in 110 obese adults showed that 3 weeks of fasting under medical supervision could significantly reduce blood pressure, blood triglyceride levels, total cholesterol, and bad LDL cholesterol.
5. It helps maintain skin health
Regular fasting can also help maintain healthy skin. This is because the health benefits of fasting can lower blood sugar levels. Due to a reduced blood sugar level, the collagen structure increases. Collagen is needed to make the skin healthier and prevent premature aging.
So, here are some of the health benefits of fasting that you should know, ladies. Indeed, fasting can bring many benefits, but special attention should be paid to the fact that fasting can also be dangerous if done incorrectly, such as not having breakfast or fasting in an unhealthy state.
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Sources:
de Cabo, R., & Mattson, M. P. (2019). Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Health, Aging, and Disease. The New England journal of medicine, 381(26), 2541–2551.
Mattson, M. P., Longo, V. D., & Harvie, M. (2017). Impact of intermittent fasting on health and disease processes. Ageing research reviews, 39, 46–58.
Ners UNAIR. (2019). Manfaat Berpuasa bagi Kesehatan. Fakultas Keperawatan Universitas Airlangga. [online]. http://ners.unair.ac.id/site/index.php/news-fkp-unair/30-lihat/978-manfaat-berpuasa-bagi-kesehatan.