MIT study: 24-hour fasting regenerates stem cells, doubles metabolism

cheryl

cheryl

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MIT study: 24-hour fasting regenerates stem cells, doubles metabolism - Big Think

This gives credence to the 5–2 diet, which has recently gained in popularity thanks to a large celebrity following.


Chances are you're probably thinking about food right now in some capacity. Maybe it's close to dinner and you're wondering what you are going to eat. Maybe you had a really good lunch and are fondly reminiscing about your BLT, or whatnot. Or maybe, just maybe, you're thinking about not eating food for a while.

If you're thinking about the latter, researchers at MIT have discovered that fasting for 24 hours flips a metabolic switch in mice, causing their guts to enhance their intestinal stem cells. Intestinal stem cells are what powers the intestine, and as people age this powerhouse starts to slow down. Ever wonder why you put on more weight as you get older? Thank your gut flora, including these cells.

The researchers found that fasting for just one day caused intestinal cell regeneration to double. While the trial has yet to be performed on humans, the biology behind these stem cells isn't wildly different to ours at all.
 
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