Fast yourself healthy

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"Activate your self-healing powers and get healthy" - what sounds like a miracle should be possible for many chronic diseases: with fasting. For whom and why the temporary absence of solid food is good, explains Dr. Eva Lischka, chairwoman of the Medical Association Fasting & Nutrition in a NetDoctor conversation.

Dr. Eva Lischka

Ms. Lischka is a doctor at the Buchinger Wilhelmi, clinic for therapeutic fasting in Überlingen.

Miss Dr. Lischka, fasting as therapy - who is it for?

Many of our fasting applicants are sick. For example, you suffer from diabetes, rheumatism or are obese. As a rule, they have already tried a few therapy attempts and now want to try something naturopathic. Still others feel burned out and stressed - fasting can help them all.

Are there clinical pictures in which fasting is particularly helpful?

But yes, for example with all the secondary diseases of obesity such as high blood pressure or osteoarthritis. We now know that the inner belly fat produces a lot of messenger substances, for example substances that promote inflammation. We need them - but only in the right amount. If there is too much inner belly fat, the balance of the messenger substances is no longer correct. Fasting can restore balance.

But this is not due to the weight lost, it should be back on quickly after fasting.

That is not right. If someone fasts just to lose pounds, it often doesn't work. Then it “pops” and the weight is on again a short time later. However, if I realize during the fast what I did wrong - for example, that I did not exercise enough or that I ate too much and wrongly - I can change that in the future. Studies show that people who have fasted find it much easier to make sustainable changes to their lifestyle afterwards. In summary: Fasting can be a good way to start questioning your habits and, above all, to change them permanently.

Why is that?

This can be explained by the fact that fasting has an influence on the happiness hormone serotonin - fasting makes you feel good. It's almost like a light switch: Pressing it once, the mood improves - and that for months. And when I feel good, then I don't need to eat as much and I also want to exercise more. My patients tell me again and again that this makes it easy for them to live more healthily afterwards.

How long do I have to fast to have any health benefits?

The minimum period is five days, otherwise it's not worth it at all. Because the body needs a while to change its metabolism. But even after this short time you can see that inflammatory processes in the body are significantly reduced.

Has it been proven?

Yes, for example, studies show that fasting works very well for inflammatory diseases like rheumatism. It is so that every meal activates inflammatory processes in the body. Because foreign protein molecules get into the body through eating. He defends himself against them. This can be measured, for example, because the number of white blood cells increases after eating.

What exactly happens in the body during fasting?

The natural possibilities of the body are used to the full. What naturopaths always refer to as self-healing powers. These have now also been confirmed by research. If you limit the intake of protein and sugar, the body's own repair genes are activated. At the same time, the immune system can recover because it is not constantly incited by the foreign proteins in the food. This explains why fasting is beneficial for so many diseases. It is particularly beneficial to exercise regularly while fasting. Then the muscle cells release anti-inflammatory messenger substances.

Are cancer patients also allowed to fast?

This is currently still the subject of studies. Prof Michalsen from the Charité in Berlin is currently doing studies on this and is fasting cancer patients during chemotherapy. He found that it was even beneficial if the patients had fasted for a few days at the same time. In this way, the sugar-hungry tumor cells could be deprived of the nutrients - this makes them more sensitive to the chemicals. Meanwhile, the healthy cells go into a kind of dormant state and are less damaged. Fasted patients felt less nauseous and felt better overall.

Should you always fast under supervision or does it work on your own?

Healthy people can fast on their own. There are, for example, many good fasting books or trained fasting leaders who accompany the process. If you are fasting for the first time all by yourself, it may be a little difficult because you are new to it. However, it is very important that anyone who takes medication and wants to fast should be under medical care.

Fasting can cause headaches, muscle cramps or visual disturbances, which sounds a little dangerous.

These are all possible complaints. But they do not occur with every fasting person. Many then say: "I imagined it would be much worse."

Would you recommend fasting to everyone?

I would advise everyone to try it out because it is a great stress reliever. And it may even have an impact on the lifespan. It has long been proven for animals that a long-term low-calorie diet keeps them young and extends life. In addition: Fasting has been practiced in many cultures for thousands of years and has become well established. No one would fast these days if it didn't have such a great effect.

Luise Heine conducts the interview.

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