Do you ever wish you could remove that annoying love handle? Well, great news, you actually can do something about it without turning to plastic surgery. There’s a method that sounds gruesome, but it’s actually pretty simple and very efficient as long as you follow a few simple rules. And that method is autophagy.
Yes, it sounds like something from zombie movies, and it literally means eating yourself. But in practice, there’s nothing horrible about it. And as you’ll see below, it comes with many benefits. So not only will it positively impact your weight loss, but it will also help you get healthier.
What Is Autophagy?
Autophagy is the process of removing those cells that are damaged and don’t do their job correctly and rejuvenating your organism. The primary purpose is to get your body to function well, avoid illnesses, and keep regenerating your cells at an optimal pace. Weight loss is a positive side effect of this whole process.
Your body does a good job eating itself or the parts it no longer needs. But if you want to speed up or intensify the process, there are things you can do about it. Fasting is the primary method to induce autophagy if you wish to lose weight or renew your cells faster.
I found out about how autophagy can help while reading about intermittent fasting. And to me, it makes more sense than most diets or weight loss plans I have found. All you need is a bit of discipline and patience, and you can get incredible results while boosting your health simultaneously.
How Does Autophagy Work?
The fact that fasting is great for our bodies is no new discovery. People have been doing it for hundreds of years. It’s been presented as a great way to clean your body and keep it balanced. But now we have the scientific explanation of why restraining food, while a bit counterintuitive, actually does wonders for our health.
And the science behind autophagy has brought a Nobel prize to Yoshinori Ohsumi, the Japanese cell biologist who studied and brought light to the process of cellular regeneration. From that point on, many scientists have walked us through the process, revealing how easy it is to help your body stay young and healthy and lose some weight along the way.
I find that Dr. Jason Fung explains the process quite clearly in his informative videos like the one below.
To save you time, here are the main ideas:
- Autophagy clears out the debris in your body
- If you want your body to function well, the old proteins must be removed and replaced with new ones
- Autophagy is crucial both for aging and disease
- Nutrient deprivation is the key and the best way to control autophagy
- Fasting lowers insulin and mTOR, telling your body that there is no food available and that it should ‘slow down the self-growth.’
A survival mechanism under conditions of stress – that’s the autophagy definition given by Dr. Fung. And by controlling this mechanism through fasting, you can cleanse your body and also improve your weight loss progress.
Indeed, old proteins must be removed, but you shouldn’t restrict only protein for the regeneration to work. If you do that, you’ll have muscle generation problems. In fact, the best way to activate autophagy is fasting – concentrating on eating intervals, not only on the menu.
How to Induce Autophagy
You want your body to start eating itself, removing the damaged cells, but what’s the best way to do it? Simply starving yourself without having a plan is not ok. You need to stick to healthy eating to lose weight, but knowing how long to fast between healthy meals is essential.
When during fasting does autophagy start? Well, studies have been conducted on mice to establish when autophagy begins. They showed that the process started after 24 hours of fasting and peaked at around 48 hours.
We don’t have conclusive studies on humans yet, so the answer to the question when does autophagy start? is still unclear. However, it seems it begins when glucose and insulin drop significantly, most likely after 24 hours of fasting.
An important aspect to keep in mind when fasting for autophagy is ensuring calorie restriction. Therefore, once you choose the right version of intermittent fasting that works for you, you must also plan your meals carefully.
The meal that breaks the fast must always be light, preferably with easily-digestible foods. Also, don’t crowd too many meals during that eating period to avoid placing a lot of stress on your digestive system.
Reducing your calorie intake, in general, will help your body improve the autophagy process. Studies have shown that for humans, a calorie restriction of up to 30% over 3-15 years lead to a significant increase in autophagy-related genes. So keeping your eating habits under control will help your body regulate the natural autophagy process.
As for the autophagy diet, things are less clear. While it would be great to have an hour-by-hour chart showing exactly how your body responds to fasting, this isn’t possible. Evidence shows that autophagy can kick in anywhere between 18 hours and 4 days of fasting.
That doesn’t mean, obviously, that you should stop eating for days. It’s best to start with longer eating intervals and see how you handle it. Suppose you can take the next step and fast for 24 hours, even better. Eventually, you will find the ideal autophagy fasting timeline for you.
Signs of Autophagy
You won’t actually feel autophagy starting to work in your body – although it’s kind of fun to imagine it. But if you want to know your fasting is already helping you, there are a few signs to follow.
Signs and symptoms of autophagy:
- As ketosis starts, your body will have higher ketone levels. Ketone bodies come from fatty acids when your body cannot use carbs to create energy. You can use special strips to measure your ketone level and find out if autophagy has started.
- You’re not hungry anymore – the hormonal changes occurring in your body reduce your appetite. Glucagon and insulin start working and suppress your hunger, making it easier to continue your fasting.
- You may start feeling tired. In some cases, autophagy is associated with fatigue. On the other hand, some people have actually felt more energized during fasting periods.
- Bad breath is one of the signs of autophagy you can easily notice – a fruity or metallic smell caused by acetone (a type of ketone)
- Your brain function is improved – your nerve cells also benefit from the cell regeneration caused by autophagy. Ketones energize the brain, making fasting a good idea even for people suffering from neurodegenerative disorders.
On top of all these, you will probably notice you are losing weight. I say ‘probably’ because, as I mentioned before, autophagy isn’t meant for weight loss, at least not directly. But it creates this fortunate side effect on most occasions.
Check out the post on How Important Are the Small Victories in Weight Loss to help you stay motivated.
Autophagy vs. Juice Cleanse
Juice cleanses have been trending for a while. I get it; you get a fancy cup, pour a nicely colored juice in it, and show the world how you detox and lose weight. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that in reality.
Juices can be healthy(although eating the fruits is much better), but they will do absolutely nothing in terms of cleaning the organism or helping it regenerate. If you want that, autophagy is the one and only way.
Not convinced? Let’s compare them:
| Autophagy | Juice cleanse |
| Sustains healthy aging | Easy way of consuming fruits and vegetables |
| Aids weight loss | You can absorb nutrients more easily |
| Lowers inflammation | Less produce waste |
| Improves brain function | Can cut your calorie intake |
| Less risk of heart disease | You throw away the fiber |
| Keeps blood sugar under control | Doesn’t remove toxins |
| Flexible menu during eating periods | Missing key nutrients |
| You will feel hungry | Can cause blood sugar swings |
| It takes a bit to get used to it | It can be pricy |
So many autophagy benefits versus the relative advantages of a juice cleanse!
While we are on the topic of fruits, check out the article on The Watermelon Diet.
Is Fasting for Autophagy Safe?
Regardless of its reason, fasting is generally safe, as long as you take a few precautions. First, it’s a good idea to check with your doctor before trying it to ensure your health allows it.
A golden rule of fasting is to drink lots of water. You need to drink more than usual to make up for the water your body usually takes from fruits and vegetables. It will also help with hunger.
Also read 10 Easy Ways to Drink More Water and Lose Weight.
Apart from water, electrolytes are also essential. If you opt for a more extended autophagy fasting period, you will also need a supplement containing sodium, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. But check the label for sugar because that will lead to breaking the fast.
How to Induce Autophagy through Diet
Fasting isn’t the only way to induce autophagy. If you feel that a one-day fast or even less than that isn’t right for you, you can adjust your diet to get your body to eat out the bad parts.
The keto diet is the best way to do that, as it brings the same metabolic changes as fasting. By changing the source of the calories you consume, you get your body to dig into the fat reserves for energy instead of glucose. As a result, you will start producing ketone bodies, just like it happens during fasting.
Is Fasting for Autophagy a Good Idea?
Autophagy is a natural process that does wonders to your body. So finding a way to enhance that process can help you boost its benefits and even lose weight. And fasting is a great way to induce autophagy.
As long as your health doesn’t prevent you, you can start with an easy version of intermittent fasting and see how it goes. You don’t need a 3 day fast to get autophagy working for you; anything above 24 hours will work.
Studies will have to continue for us to understand the process of autophagy fully and how we can benefit from it. However, the most important part when you want to try fasting for autophagy is to remember its’ primary goal isn’t weight loss but rejuvenating your body.
Autophagy weight loss results can be impressive, but they vary from person to person. But even if you don’t see a sudden weight drop, those few hours of autophagy will help your organism in more important ways.
FAQs on Autophagy and Weightloss
Does autophagy get rid of loose skin?
Autophagy could prevent skin aging because it helps skin cells remove the damaged parts. It seems aging fibroblasts are affected by decreased autophagy. A study by Kyushu University in Fukuoka showed that fibroblast cells get clogged with damaged parts, which affects their collagen production.
So boosting autophagy can lead to better dermal integrity and less fragile skin.
Are 16 hours of fasting enough for autophagy?
According to studies, 16 hours is not enough to start the process of autophagy. Still, fasting should be a gradual process. So if it’s your first time, 16 hours isn’t bad. Then, as you get used to it, you can push the period bit by bit.
Does coffee stop autophagy?
Coffee doesn’t stop autophagy as long as you don’t add anything to it, like sugar, sweeteners, or milk. Tea is also a good option during fasting hours.
How long should I stay in autophagy?
You should stay in intermittent fasting autophagy only as long as you feel well. Once you start noticing the signs of autophagy, keep drinking water and replenishing your electrolytes, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself.
The longer you continue fasting, the better results you will have. But that doesn’t mean you must push yourself more than your body can handle. If you feel sick, dizzy, or in any way uncomfortable, break the fast and have a light meal. It could mean that fasting is better in smaller doses for you.
Written by Mia Davis
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