Food is key to health, and
intermittent fasting
emerges as one of the variants that breaks with common customs in the world. And a recent study also found
benefits for the intestines of an older adult.
Intermittent fasting means
not eating for a period of time each day or week
. Some popular approaches to intermittent fasting include the following, explain from
the Mayo Clinic
, a nonprofit entity dedicated to clinical practice, education and research:
Alternate day fasting.
Eat a normal diet one day and fast completely or eat a small meal (less than 500 calories) the next day.
Fasting 5:2.
Eat a normal diet five days a week and fast two days a week.
Daily fasting with restricted time.
Eat normally, but only within an eight-hour window each day. For example, not having breakfast, but having lunch at noon and dinner at 8 p.m.
In any case, it is always essential
to consult a doctor or nutritionist
before making a decision regarding changing your eating habits, so that they can provide the best advice and treatment to follow.
What benefits does intermittent fasting have for the intestine?
In a study presented at the American Physiology Summit in Long Beach, researchers from the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine at
Midwestern University
in Downers Grove, Illinois, reported that intermittent fasting may also help
protect the gastrointestinal system
. mainly the small intestine, as you age.
A study claims that intermittent fasting helps protect the gastrointestinal system.
Researchers genetically modified mice to accelerate aging. One group had food available at all times, while the other only had access during alternating 24-hour cycles.
After eight months, the scientists discovered that the mice on the fasting plan not only managed
to lose weight.
"Our study suggests that intermittent fasting is a beneficial dietary practice for controlling weight gain,
improving blood glucose levels
, and promoting positive gut effects by
reducing inflammation and oxidative stress
while altering gut structure," he said. Spencer Vroegop, author of this study, reflects to
Medical News Today.
How aging affects the small intestine
For this study, the researchers focused on a specific part of the small intestine called
the jejunum.
"The jejunum is the middle section of the small intestine, whose job is to absorb nutrients and move food through the intestine. The ileum is the last part, which joins the small and large intestines," defines
Oncolink.org.
"As mammals age, inherent harmful changes occur in the morphology of the small intestine that affect the ability to absorb nutrients and maintain its structure," Vroegop develops.
The jejunum is the middle section of the small intestine.
"Our study suggests that an intermittent fasting diet may help
prevent these age-related changes
by returning the jejunum to a 'younger' version of itself," he specifies.
Effects of intermittent fasting on men and women
The researchers further noted that improvements in the health and appearance of the small intestine were
more pronounced in females
than in males.
Mice also had the greatest refinement in the way sugars were transported.
However, the scientists found that the impact of intermittent fasting
on blood sugar levels was stronger in male mice than in female mice.
Still, it's unclear whether sex differences in sugar metabolism in mice also apply to humans.
Next studies would be to evaluate what happens in the intestine of human subjects.
These and other results from studies showing benefits to intermittent fasting do not surprise scientists.
In any case, they warn, the next steps should be
to evaluate similar changes in the intestine of human subjects
in future studies.
"There is a comparison between intermittent fasting and other diets, but not which type of intermittent fasting has the most benefits," said Mir Ali, a bariatric surgeon and medical director of
MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center.