Of all the diet trends we’ve heard over the years, water fasting might be among the most devious. For several days, he does not eat, drinks water as his only support.
Although this diet sounds like an interrogation tactic devised by a spy agency, some social media users promote water fasting as a strategy to Lose weight and improving health.
Does water fasting really work and is it safe?
Maybe, and maybe not. “Honestly, there’s not a lot of research behind water fasting,” says Krista Varady, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois, Chicago.
The limited research that exists suggests that people do they often lose weight by fasting on water, but these difficult diets put you at risk for potentially harmful side effects. Varady doesn’t recommend doing your own water fasting experiment because such a restrictive diet could be dangerous if done without medical supervision.
Some of the claims about water fasting revolve specifically around the idea that fasting can induce autophagy, your body’s natural process of cellular cleansing and removal of damaged cells. There is limited evidence, often from animal studies, that short-term fasting can increase autophagy, but there is no published human research showing that water fasting is a safe or effective way to induce it.
Here’s what you should know about water fasting and why it’s not something to try alone. If you want to consider a new diet, especially an extreme one like water fasting, it’s important to check with your health care provider before (and during the diet) to make sure you’re losing weight safely.
What is water fasting?
Simply put, water fasting is a water-only diet that lasts for two or more days.
Fast itself is not a new idea. Human beings have incorporated fasting into their lives for thousands of years, often as part of religious traditions. In the mid-1800s, some fringe doctors began experimenting with fasting for health reasons, and this continued into the 20th century, with a minor resurgence in the 1960s.
Today, on TikTok, you can find all sorts of pseudo-experts touting the benefits of a water fast. Often the goal is weight loss or some other health benefit, such as a reduction in cancer risk or an improvement in type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure.
However, if you have any health conditions, you should talk to your health care provider before trying any new diet. Spoiler alert: They probably won’t recommend a water fast.
Also, it’s worth noting that a water fast is not the same as a liquid diet.
How do you water fast?
There are no hard and fast rules for a water fast, mainly because there is not enough research to establish safety guidelines.
“There’s not a lot of published science on it,” says Varady. In the research studies that do exist on water fasting, study participants (usually a small number of them) are closely and constantly monitored by medical professionals during the fast and then observed and guided as they are reintroduced to water fasting. regular food.
Fasts range from two to 41 days with an average of around seven days. In some versions of the fast, participants are allowed a small amount of blended foodlike fruit juice and vegetable soup, every day.
As part of their treatment, study participants could also receive complementary care, such as enemas to cleanse their intestines, since fasting breaks their regular pooping schedule. Sometimes they stay at a spa and get massages. In other words, these guys aren’t usually at home hanging out on their own, and this isn’t something the average guy should try on their own, either.
Is water fasting safe?
Unless it’s part of a carefully designed research study supervised by medical professionals, no.
“I would say it’s not a safe option, definitely not, for people to do it on their own,” says Varady.
If you’d like to try just drinking water for a day, also known as no-calorie alternate-day fasting, that’s one possibility, says Varady. (Still, check with your doctor first.) But she doesn’t recommend multi-day water fasts.
One reason: Although you could lose weight on a water fast, you’ll probably lose more than just fat. Water fasting will likely result in loss of lean muscle mass, or muscle loss that happens when you don’t eat protein, she says.
To compensate, your body begins to break down muscle. You could also develop other nutrient deficiencies. Again, if you’re part of a study where someone checks your blood work regularly for signs of nutrient deficiencies, you may be able to catch these things before they become dangerous. On your own, you could end up in trouble.
Another problem: “I would be concerned about the propensity for eating disorders,” says Varady. “That seems a bit concerning to me, if you’re not eating, it could change your psychology around food if you haven’t eaten anything for 30 days.”
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And it’s not just the fast that’s potentially dangerous, it’s the period of time when the fast ends and you’re ready to eat everything in sight.
“When you go back to feeding the person after 20 days of fasting with water, that can be a little dangerous, because the person’s body doesn’t know how to deal with glucose and fat and all that,” says Varady.
This could be even more dangerous if you already have a metabolic problem like type 2 diabetes.
“If someone has type 2 diabetes, they wouldn’t go on a complete water fast for days unless they’re under the careful supervision of a doctor,” says Varady.
What are the risks of water fasting?
Research published in the journal BMC Complementary Medicine Therapies showed that the most common adverse events of water fasting include:
- Quality of life problems such as fatigue.
- heart problems such as high blood pressure
- Musculoskeletal problems like arthritis
- Gastrointestinal problems such as colitis, gastritis and constipation
- Endocrine problems such as thyroid problems or diabetes
- Neurological problems such as headache, neuropathy, and dizziness.
- Urological and kidney problems
- psychiatric problems like depression and anxiety
- Lung problems such as inflammation, shortness of breath, and infection.
Two people in the analyzed studies required hospitalization, one severely dehydrated and one dangerously low sodium levels.
In a recent to study of middle-aged men in Poland who fasted on water for eight days, the patients lost weight and perceived a reduction in stress, but their bodies experienced some negative consequences, such as dehydration, low sodium levels, low blood sugar levels, and an increase in urination. acid in your blood.
The study authors concluded: “Therefore, for the safety of middle-aged people subjected to [an] Eight-day water fast, it is recommended to suspend this intervention, since it is a drastic form of fasting that already begins to generate unfavorable symptoms for a healthy person.
Is there a safer way to fast?
Yes. intermittent fastingwhere you eat normally for a period of eight hours a day and then drink water for the rest of the day, it is much safer.
Intermittent fasting has been studied for decades and allows you to eat real food. Drinking only water for two-thirds of the day (and that includes the time you sleep) is much safer than drinking only water for entire days.
“If someone wants to reduce their fat mass while maintaining much of their muscle mass, it makes more sense to do simple intermittent fasting,” says Varady.
During intermittent fasting, people tend to naturally reduce their energy intake by about 500 calories, thereby losing about a pound or two a week, she says.
In his research studies on intermittent fasting, constipation is a common side effect, but it usually resolves within a couple of weeks, without the need for daily enemas. Mild headaches and dehydration can also occur, but usually resolve with increased water intake.
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