Intermittent Fasting Essay
David Alexander
Professor Gallagher
ENGL101
3 November 2014
Intermittent Fasting: Why Breakfast is not the Most Important Meal of the Day. Intermittent Fasting can have many health benefits, as well as aid in fat and overall weight loss. Many people across the world practice fasting at times, but this is mostly for reasons that have to do with religion. For example, Muslims will do a half day fast during Ramadan, while Catholics fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. This is only for a short time though and usually only once a year. Almost everyone fasts daily, when they are sleeping, but Intermittent Fasting (or IF) takes that time and increases it. Some versions follow a one day on one day off protocol, others will have you fast 24 hours twice a week, and another popular version is fasting every day for 16 hours, while eating 8 (St. Pierre and Birardi 1-2). Most nutritionist and health experts say that the key to a healthy diet is many small meals throughout the day. There is very little, if any, research proving that to be true. In fact, recent studies have shown just the opposite to be true. That IF, decreasing the amount of time you spend eating, has improved health and lead to fat and weight loss. The most important part of any diet is how it improves overall health. IF has been shown in multiple studies to help decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes, control seizures, improve insulin sensitivity, and has even shown improved memory and reduced the risk of stroke in studies done on rats. A lot of the studies on the health aspects of IF have been done on rats. This is where most studies get started before moving on the primates then humans. In a university study conducted led by Vasconcelos, it was found that rats placed in an alternate day fasting group for 30 days showed better recollection on finding their way through a maze (2). They were shown the way out and were able to find their way our faster on repeat attempts. This shows how their memory was
Professor Gallagher
ENGL101
3 November 2014
Intermittent Fasting: Why Breakfast is not the Most Important Meal of the Day. Intermittent Fasting can have many health benefits, as well as aid in fat and overall weight loss. Many people across the world practice fasting at times, but this is mostly for reasons that have to do with religion. For example, Muslims will do a half day fast during Ramadan, while Catholics fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. This is only for a short time though and usually only once a year. Almost everyone fasts daily, when they are sleeping, but Intermittent Fasting (or IF) takes that time and increases it. Some versions follow a one day on one day off protocol, others will have you fast 24 hours twice a week, and another popular version is fasting every day for 16 hours, while eating 8 (St. Pierre and Birardi 1-2). Most nutritionist and health experts say that the key to a healthy diet is many small meals throughout the day. There is very little, if any, research proving that to be true. In fact, recent studies have shown just the opposite to be true. That IF, decreasing the amount of time you spend eating, has improved health and lead to fat and weight loss. The most important part of any diet is how it improves overall health. IF has been shown in multiple studies to help decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes, control seizures, improve insulin sensitivity, and has even shown improved memory and reduced the risk of stroke in studies done on rats. A lot of the studies on the health aspects of IF have been done on rats. This is where most studies get started before moving on the primates then humans. In a university study conducted led by Vasconcelos, it was found that rats placed in an alternate day fasting group for 30 days showed better recollection on finding their way through a maze (2). They were shown the way out and were able to find their way our faster on repeat attempts. This shows how their memory was