6 Benefits of 72 Hour Fast Once a Week

Fasting is when you refrain from eating solid food for a certain period. This usually lasts anywhere from 12-72 hours. However, some people fast for much longer than that.

Fasting has been practiced for many years and in many religions and cultures. It can be traced back to times of archetypal figures like Jesus and Muhammad. It can also be traced to the ancient days of people like Marcus Aurelius, Plato and his student Aristotle.

“I fast for Greater Physical and mental efficiency” – Plato

Fasting has many benefits to the body, from a clearer mind to better body functioning. It is not a cultural or religious practice, but a health routine that everyone should practice.

Before getting into the benefits of 72 hour fast once a week, let’s look at some of the stages of fasting and how they impact the body.

Autophagy Fasting Benefits by Hour

12 Hours Stage – Ketosis

After 12 hours of fasting, your body releases a large chunk of fats into the bloodstream and converts it into a fuel called ketones, in a process called ketosis. This may explain why you feel more energized after the fast.

18 Hours stage – fat burning 

Here, the body uses ketones as the primary source of energy. Fats are broken down in a process known as beta-oxidation. This allows the liver to produce ketones which are used by the brain. During this stage, people admit to filling more energized and focused.

24 Hours Stage – Autophagy

This stage involves recycling of cellular components in the body, like amino acids, which are used to make new mitochondria and proteins. Defective proteins are also broken down or prevented from multiplying, which may lead to diseases such as cancer.

48 Hours Stage – Growth Hormone

Here hormones such as noradrenaline and human growth increase drastically. These hormones are vital in improving overall health, including preventing diabetes, heart attacks and stroke.

72 Hours stage – Cell Regeneration

At this stage, there is a complete body swap. Autophagy is activated, and defective and old cells have been removed, which leads to stem cell regeneration. This modulates the immune system and reduces inflammation.

Benefits of 72 Hour Fast Once a Week

1. Improves Heart Health 

WHO statistics show that cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, with an estimated death rate of about 17.9 million lives yearly. Topping the list of the causes of this pandemic is an unhealthy diet, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. This means that switching your diet is an effective way to reduce heart-related diseases.

Research has found that incorporating fasting is beneficial for heart health. Other studies have also revealed that fasting can reduce triglyceride levels by 32% and bad LDL cholesterol levels by 25%.

In another study, fasting was shown to lower the risks of diabetes and coronary artery diseases, which are the major factors of heart disease.

2. Helps you Lose Weight

Fasting is a cheap and effective way of losing weight because you cut down on the intake of calories diets. Similarly, doing a 72-hour fast positively affects fat-burning and blood sugar.

During the fasting hours, your body burns down the glycogen stores and enters ketosis. This increases metabolic rate by increasing the levels of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, which hastens the rate of fat tissue burning.

A review showed that whole-day fasting could reduce body weight by 9% and decrease body fat over 12 – 24 weeks. Fasting is a more effective way of lowering weight than calorie restriction because it leads to fat loss while still preserving the muscle tissues.

Remember to take care of your body when you are ready to eat again after fasting. You don’t want to water down your fasting by eating unhealthy foods.

3. Boosts Cognitive Functions

One of the main reasons why you want to fast is to improve your cognitive function. Ketones mentioned earlier are the brain’s most preferred fuel source during fasting. They maintain the structure and provide an optimal environment for the connecting pathways between the glands or muscles and nerve cells.

During 72 hours of fasting, the metabolic activities of nerve cells and brain cells are enhanced, improving brain performance and structure. Fasting protects brain health by increasing the continuous generation of nerve cells, enhancing cognitive functions.

4. Anti-Inflammatory

When harmful microorganisms, toxins or bacteria enter our body, inflammation cells are part of the defense mechanisms. They defend our body by fighting off bacteria and repairing damaged tissues. This is when you experience conditions like redness, pain and swelling.

Research shows that inflammations that occur and not treated may lead to the development of other major conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and heart disease.

Fasting for 72 hours helps to lower the levels of inflammation which helps to promote better health. This happens because of the reduction in oxidative stress in our body cells, which again reduces the chances of developing other chronic conditions.

5. Reduces the Risk of Cancer

Fasting can help reduce the risk of developing various forms of cancer. Although more research is being put on the matter, the available information suggests that fasting may reduce breast cancer recurrence. A study in 2016 from the University of Southern California showed that fasting protects normal cell production and promotes stem cell regeneration.

Also, fasting is attributed to a reduction in glucose levels in the blood. This makes it harder for cancer cells to reproduce or grow because they feed on glucose and consume it in higher quantities than other cells.

During a 72-hour fast, insulin is metabolized, increasing its ability to remove glucose from the blood. The glucose reduction in the blood starves the cancerous cells, hindering their growth.

6. Extends Longevity by Delaying Aging 

Fasting for extended periods, like 72 hours, triggers the liver to release ketones, the anti-ageing molecules. It increases the survival rate of the body, which in turn increases longevity.

Ageing is always evident in our veins and arteries, which are vital carriers of oxygen and nutrients to the body. Ketones, released during fasting, trigger the production of the interior cells, which rejuvenates and clears the blood vessels delaying the ageing process.

What Should I take During a 72-Hour Fast?

If you want to get the most from a fast, you should be careful about what you take during the fasting. Otherwise, you will just be remaining hungry for 72 hours.

72-hour water fast will not involve any diet but rather drinking water. If you want more options to keep you going, use unsweetened green or black tea and black coffee.

What to Eat After 72-Hour Fasting

You don’t want to wash away all those days you’ve been fasting by breaking your fast with unhealthy diets. When breaking the fast, only choose a light meal for your stomach and metabolism.

Some of the best foods to break a 72-hour fast include:

• Bone broth: contains essential proteins such as gelatin which help the digestive system’s recovery and provides anti-inflammatory effects. 
• Non-cruciferous vegetables: cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli may cause gases in your stomach after a lengthened time of fasting. Instead, sauté green foods like spinach is easier for digestion by the stomach.
• Smoothies: taking blended drinks will help introduce essential nutrients to your body. Smoothies have less fiber than raw vegetables and fruits. 
• Fermented foods: sauerkraut, kefir, and unsweetened yogurt are also great foods after a fast. 

Side Effects of 72 Hour Water Fasting

72-hour fasting is a healthy lifestyle. However, it has some drawbacks. Some of the side effects that you might experience include:

1. Orthostatic hypotension

Lengthened fasting decreases the blood pressure in the body. This may not work better for people suffering from heart disease, and may lead to fainting.

2. Dehydration

Fasting involves reducing food intake where most of our water comes from. This leads to dehydration, which may lead to severe headaches and dizziness.

3. May worsen medical conditions.

It may worsen conditions for people who suffer from:

• Gout – may erupt acute gout due to an increase in uric acid (due to the reduction of water)
• Gastrointestinal issues – people with colitis, ulcers and Crohn’s disease may experience diarrhoea, nausea and abdominal pains.
• Hypertension– it may get even worse, and may lead to other chronic conditions such as strokes and heart attacks.

People who suffer from the following conditions should not fast for 72- hours.

• Eating disorder
• Diabetes
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Metabolic disorder

Bottom Line

72 hour fasting is a good way to tap into important health benefits and add some years to your life. However, start fasting for 12 hours before fasting for 72 hrs. Again, water fasting should come after you have alerted your medical provider about it. For any underlying medical conditions, please avoid fasting.