Water Fasting: Utilities and Certain Risks

What Is Water Fasting?

Water fasting is a very convenient way to lose weight. Over the years several diet plans have gained popularity and water fasting is one among them. During water fasting instead of food only water is being consumed. Fasting has been practised for ages now though at that time it was mainly due to spiritual and religious purposes. Now fasting has become quite common for health issues as well. Though water fasting is quite common still you need to know do’s and don’ts. To make water fasting effective you need to follow certain things.

Utilities of Water Fasting

Water fasting is helpful for certain groups of people who are suffering from diseases like:

• Heart issues
• Cholesterol in high ranges
• Diabetic
• Obese People
• High Blood Pressure

The body generally utilises carbohydrates for generating energy. In the absence of carbohydrates, fats remained to be the second choice for energy generation. Thus when anybody fasts, fats are broken down. Thus people lose weight while fasting.

Now, Let’s Discuss the Utilities

• It is assumed that water fasting promotes autophagy, a defence mechanism that prevents the accumulation of cancerous cells. Researches are still under process.
• Water fasting helps to reduce high blood pressure. Medically supervised water fasting has proven to be pretty helpful.
• Water fasting enhances the body sensitivity towards helpful hormones like insulin and leptin.
• Certain evidence supports the facts that water fasting reduces the chances of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart problems and cancer as well.

Disadvantages

Now that we have already discussed about the pros of water fasting, cons are also needed to be discussed.

• Rapid weight loss at times cause quite damage to your health. So one needs to be careful and follow proper medical guidelines.
• Though it sounds weird, still as a matter of fact water fasting may cause dehydration. This is due to 23 to 30% water comes from the regular food intake. As you cut the food resources and live only on water that left out water proportions may result in body dehydration.
• While fasting, one may experience sudden fall of pressure and suffer from symptoms like nausea, dizziness, headache and so on. Medically this state is referred as orthostatic hypotension.
• Malfunctioning of kidney is noted because of water fasting.
• Eating disorder is noted.
• Even while fasting stomach keeps on generating stomach acid which may results in gastroesophageal reflux disorder.

Water fasting can be continued for 24 to 72 hours. Under proper medical supervision it may last as long as 40 days. But for your own good one should not try to fast more than 3 days.

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