The Health Benefits of Water Fasting

By Stephen Harrod Buhner

Copyright 2003 Stephen Harrod Buhner
Fasting is an exceptionally ancient, and powerful, approach to healing many common disease conditions !t allows the "ody to rest, detoxify, and to heal #uring
fasting the "ody mo$es into the same %ind of detoxification cycle that it normally enters during sleep !t uses its energy during a fast, not for digesting food, "ut for
cleansing the "ody of accumulated toxins and healing any parts of it that are ill &s a fast progresses the "ody consumes e$erything that it can that is not essential
to "odily functioning 'his includes "acteria, $iruses, fi"roid tumors, waste products in the "lood, any "uild up around the (oints, and stored fat 'he historical record
indicates that human "eings are e$olutionarily designed to fast !t is an incredi"ly safe approach to healing and the "ody %nows how to do it $ery well
The Physiological Changes of Fasting
)any of the most dramatic changes that occur in the "ody during fasting ta%e place on the first three days of the fast 'hese occur as the "ody switches from one
fuel source to another *ormally, the primary form of energy the "ody uses for energy is glucose, a type of sugar )ost of this is extracted or con$erted from the
food we eat 'hroughout the day, the li$er stores excess sugar in a special form called glycogen that it can call on as energy le$els fall "etween meals 'here is
enough of this sugar source for +,-2 hours of energy and usually, it is completely exhausted within the first 2. hours of fasting /Howe$er, once the "ody shifts o$er
to %etosis or fat as fuel, this new fuel is used to also restore the "ody0s glycogen reser$es1
2nce the li$er0s stores of glycogen are gone, the "ody "egins to shift o$er to what is called %etosis or %etone production , the use of fatty acids as fuel instead of
glucose 'his shift generally "egins on the second day of fasting and completed "y the third !n this interim period there is no glucose a$aila"le and energy from fat
con$ersion is insufficient "ut the "ody still needs fuel So it accesses glucose from two sources !t first con$erts glycerol, a$aila"le in the "ody0s fat stores, to
glucose "ut this is still insufficient So it ma%es the rest that it needs from cata"oli3ing, or "rea%ing down, the amino acids in muscle tissue, using them in the li$er
for gluconeogenesis, or the ma%ing of glucose Between 40 and +. grams of protein are used on this second day, 2,3 ounces of muscle tissue By the third day
%etone production is sufficient to pro$ide nearly all the energy the "ody needs and the "ody0s protein "egins to "e strongly conser$ed 'he "ody still needs a tiny
amount of glucose for some functions, howe$er, so a $ery small amount of protein, -+,2. grams, is still cata"oli3ed to supply it , from -52 to - ounce of muscle
tissue per day 2$er a 30 day water fast a person generally loses a maximum of -,2 pounds of muscle mass 'his conser$ation of the "ody0s protein is an
e$olutionary de$elopment that exists to protect muscle tissue and $ital organs from damage during periods of insufficient food a$aila"ility
From the third day onward the rate of the "rea%down of fatty acids from adipose or fat tissue continues to increase, hitting its pea% on the tenth day 'his se$en day
period, after the "ody has shifted completely o$er to %etosis, is where the maximum "rea%down of fat tissue occurs &s part of protein conser$ation, the "ody also
"egins see%ing out all non,"ody,protein sources of fuel6 nonessential cellular masses such as fi"roid tumors and degenerati$e tissues, "acteria, $iruses, or any
other compounds in the "ody that can "e used for fuel 'his is part of the reason that fasting produces the %ind of health effects it does &lso, during this period of
heightened %etosis the "ody is in a similar state as the one that occurs during sleep , a rest and detoxification cycle !t "egins to focus on the remo$al of toxins
from the "ody and the healing and regeneration of damaged tissues and organs
Fasting and Healing
Fasting has "een found to help a num"er of disease conditions, often
permanently 'here ha$e "een a num"er of intriguing clinical trials and studies treating numerous disease conditions with fasting Here are some of those findings
7 !n one clinical trial of hypertension and fasting, -8. people with hypertension were prefasted for 2,3 days "y eating only fruits and $egeta"les 'hey then
participated in a -0,-- day water only fast, followed "y a 4,8 day post fast in which they ate only a low,fat, low, sodium $egan diet !nitial "lood pressure in the
participants was either in excess of -.0 millimeters of mercury /mm H91 systolic or :0 diastolic or "oth *inety percent of the participants achie$ed "lood pressure
less than -.05:0 "y the end of the trial 'he higher their initial "lood pressure the more their readings dropped 'he a$erage drop for all participants was 385-3
'hose with stage 3 hypertension /o$er -+05--01 had an a$erage reduction of 405-8 &ll those ta%ing "lood pressure medication prior to fasting were a"le to
discontinue it Fasting has "een shown in a num"er of trials li%e this one to "e one of the most effecti$e methods for lowering "lood pressure and normali3ing
cardio$ascular function Blood pressure tends to remain low in all those using fasting for cardio$ascular disease once fasting is completed
7 Fasting is exceptionally "eneficial in chronic cardio$ascular disease and congesti$e heart failure, reducing triglycerides, atheromas, total cholesterol, and
increasing H#; le$els
7 Fasting has "een found effecti$e in the treatment of type !! dia"etes, often re$ersing the condition permanently
7 Because of its long term effects on meta"olism, fat stores in the "ody, leptin, and disease conditions associated with o"esity, fasting has "een found to "e one of
the most effecti$e treatments for o"esity
7 & num"er of studies ha$e found that fasting is "eneficial in epilepsy, reducing the length, num"er, and se$erity of sei3ures Fasting is especially effecti$e for
helping alle$iate or cure childhood epilepsy
7 !n a -:++ trial of ++ people with acute pancreatitis, fasting was found "etter than any other medical inter$ention *either nasogastric suction or cimetidine were
found to produce as "eneficial effects as those from fasting Symptoms were relie$ed irrespecti$e of the etiology of the disease
7 & num"er of studies ha$e found that fasting is effecti$e for treating "oth osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis Fasting induces significant antiinflammatory
actions in the "ody and researchers found decreased <S=, arthralgia, pain, stiffness, and need for medication
7 &utoimmune diseases such as lupus, rosacea, chronic urticaria, and acute glomerulonephritis ha$e all responded well to fasting
7 Se$ere toxic contamination has "een shown to "e significantly helped with fasting Clinical trials ha$e found that people poisoned with >CB experienced
?dramatic? relief after 8,-0 day fasts
7 >oor immune function impro$es during fasting Studies ha$e found that
there is increased macrophage acti$ity, increased cell,mediated immunity,
decreased complement factors, decreased antigen,anti"ody complexes, increased immunoglo"ulin le$els, increased neutrophil "actericidal acti$ity, depressed
lymphocyte "lastogenesis, heightened monocyte %illing and "actericidal function, and enhanced natural %iller cell acti$ity
7 2ther diseases that ha$e responded to fasting are6 psychosomatic disease, neurogenic "ladder, psoriasis, ec3ema, throm"ophle"itis, $aricose ulcers,
fi"romyalgia, neurocirculatory disease, irrita"le "owel syndrome, inflammatory "owel disease, "ronchial asthma, lum"ago, depression, neurosis, schi3ophrenia,
duodenal ulcers, uterine fi"roids, intestinal parasites, gout, allergies, hay fe$er, hi$es, multiple sclerosis, and insomnia
7 'he historically lengthy claim that fasting increases life span is "eginning to garner some support in research literature =egularly repeated .,day fasting has
"een found to increase the life span in normal and immunocompromised mice
7 &lthough the use of fasting in the treatment of cancer is contro$ersial, there is some emerging data SH2@!*9 that fasting helps pre$ent cancer !ntermittent
fasting /2 days wee%ly1 has shown an inhi"itory effect on the de$elopment of li$er cancer in rats
People Who Should Not Fast
&lthough most people can fast, there are a few who, "ecause of special
conditions, should not
7 >eople who are extremely emaciated or in a state of star$ation
7 'hose who are anorexic or "ulemic
7 >regnant, dia"etic women
7 *ursing mothers
7 'hose who ha$e se$ere anemia
7 'hose with an extreme fear of fasting
7 'hose with porphyria >orphyria refers to a genetic meta"olic defect that affects the "ody0s a"ility to manage porphyrins >orphyrins are a group of compounds
that com"ine with iron to produce "lood, are in$ol$ed in the control of electron transport systems, and, within mitochondria, are intricately in$ol$ed in the
production, accumulation, and utili3ation of energy >orphyria can cause malfunctions in the li$er, "one marrow, and red "lood cells and produces a wide range of
symptoms including sei3ures
7 >eople with a rare, genetic, fatty acid deficiency which pre$ents 'H< !*!'!&'!2* 2F A<'2S!S 'his is a deficiency in$ol$ing the en3yme acetyl,Co&, a
mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation en3yme, that is essential to %etosis 'hose with this deficiency who do fast can experience se$ere side effects, including hepatic
steatosis, myocardial lipid accumulation, and se$ere hypoglycemia
A Note on Pregnancy, Children, and Fasting
&lthough many fasting texts suggest that pregnant women not fast, those that ha$e "een found to suffer side effects were also dia"etic Aetosis during pregnancy
can seriously harm the fetus if the mother is dia"etic Fasting during pregnancy if a woman is not dia"etic has not "een found harmful to either mother or fetus
Howe$er, fasts for nondia"etic pregnant women should "e no longer than 2,3 wee%s duration and "e monitored "y a health care pro$ider Children, e$en infants,
can also fast without complications if the fasts are of relati$ely short duration For infants 2,3 days, children -,2 wee%s depending on age 'hese fasts should also
"e monitored "y a health care pro$ider unless of short duration 'he need for infants and young children to fast is rare
Those Who Should Fast Under Health Care Supervision
@hile most people can fast safely there are some that should do so only under the super$ision of a health professional experienced in fasting for healing
7 'hose with serious disease conditions
7 >regnant women
7 !nfants and young children
7 'ype ! dia"etics
7 'hose with insufficient %idney function
7 'hose who are extremely afraid of fasting yet wish to do so anyway
7 >eople with a high toxic contamination le$el of ##' ##' is stored "y the "ody in a highly concentrated form in fat tissue Fasting can release huge le$els of ##'
into the "loodstream as the fat stores are released 'his can "e Buite dangerous