by Dr. Benjamin Drach, DC
https://joinzoe.com/learn/intermittent-fasting-gut-health
What’s With All the Buzz on Intermittent Fasting?
With 2023 beginning, everyone is starting new diet trends and fads. One very common diet that everyone is buzzing about is intermittent fasting. Although this diet is very popular, many don’t understand what it is, nor how to capitalize on its benefits.
Intermittent fasting has gotten a lot of traction because it commonly focuses on when food is eaten rather than what foods are eaten. There are many forms of intermittent fasting, however the same principle applies. There are a number of potential benefits to each type of method of intermittent fasting; however in this newsletter we will be focusing on the benefits intermittent fasting has on your gut health!
To understand how intermittent fasting benefits your gut health, you need to understand the microbiome of your gut. The gut microbiome is made up of trillions of microorganisms (like healthy bacteria) that live in the intestinal tract. These groups of healthy bacteria are involved in the critical functions in your body like training your new immune cells and other areas of your health and wellbeing.
Although intermittent fasting focuses on when to eat rather than what to eat, this does not mean that you can eat all the sugar and processed foods you want. It has been shown that eating highly processed foods can kill your good bacteria rather than supplying them with the necessary nutrients. The goal of the fasting time is to give your body the chance to finish digesting and rest, something that cannot happen if you do not have the necessary bacteria in your gut.
In addition, changing the quality of the bacteria in your microbiome will cause your digestion to slow, increasing fermentation time and leading to unnecessary feelings of being bloated. You don’t need to spend your fasted time both hungry and bloated!
The best foods to eat while doing intermittent fasting would be ones that feed your microbiome rather than kill or negatively alter its members. The best things to feed your microbiome are probiotics.
Probiotics are bacteria similar to those in your microbiome and you can consume probiotics by eating more fermented foods. The best fermented foods to eat after fasting would be organic yogurt, Kimchi, and aged cheese. Upon eating these foods, probiotics will make their home in your gut, resulting in an increase in the diversity of beneficial bacteria. This will create a healthier gut microbiome and ultimately, a healthier you!
Now that you understand what the microbiome is and how to supply it with the foods you eat, let’s dive into the benefits of intermittent fasting and your gut!
- Intermittent Fasting can change your microbiome for the better
Evidence suggests that intermittent fasting can change the bacterial makeup (or flora) of your gut’s microbiome. As you know, your gut is a huge component of how your body heals. Therefore, ensuring your gut microbiome has a healthy flora is essential to you having a healthy body. - Intermittent fasting helps reduce the risk of major health problems
Evidence has shown that intermittent fasting can fight major health issues like cancer! One study was done on healthy young men who fasted for 16 hours each day for one month.
At the end of the month the participants demonstrated higher levels of a bacteria known as Lachnospiraceae in the microbiome. This bacteria has been known to be linked with a lower risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, heart disease and mental health problems.
You can see the benefit of having the right types of bacteria in your gut. In another study with young men fasting 16 hours a day, the diversity of the overall microbiome had significantly increased.
Specifically, testing showed increased levels of beneficial bacteria known as Bacteroidetes and Prevotellaceae. These bacteria are associated with better metabolic health and reduced markers for obesity.
When all of these different types of bacteria are in the right quantities in your gut, your body thrives, and can truly heal. Imagine what healing your body can do to replenish and rejuvenate YOU during those fasting hours once digestion has finished. That is the true power of Intermittent Fasting!
- Intermittent Fasting can help prevent gut inflammation
It is shown that intermittent fasting may improve the function of your gut barrier. The gut barrier is layers of cells that form your gut lining. This lining lets nutrients pass through while also providing you with protection from toxins and disease.
During times of fasting, your gut’s activity slows down and the cells of your gut lining are restored. Due to this fact, doctors have suggested that the lengthening of this fasting period could strengthen your gut barrier.
With the strengthening of the gut barrier, chronic inflammation can be limited, or even eliminated. With the limitation of inflammation, chronic health conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease can be prevented.
If you’re saying, wait, how is the heart involved in this? All diseases have inflammation as a cause at some point in the development of that disease. This is why limiting chronic inflammation will help you to reduce the chance of developing a chronic health issue.
Intermittent fasting may seem like a popular fad, however it has the potential to improve your gut and provide you with many health benefits! Many of you already are, but if you would like to try intermittent fasting, you can discuss options with our nutrition team on your next appointment!