Do You Want Your Aging Clock to Tick Backwards? How Harnessing “Autophagy” Through Intermittent Fasting and More Can Promote Youthful Longevity
Unlock the hidden fountain of youth within your own body with the power of autophagy: this fascinating process holds the key to optimizing youthful longevity and vitality, so you can live better and thrive longer.
Autophagy - which literally means “self-eating” - is a cellular process that happens all the time in your body and is one of the principal ways your cells cleanse, rebuild and recycle themselves. It is also one of the most important, yet under-publicized processes that drive longevity.
So how to achieve autophagy? One way is through intermittent fasting, which involves periods of fasting and eating within designated time windows, has shown huge promise in promoting cellular repair and longevity, in large part, through promoting autophagy. This article explores how both of these incredible processes are related and help you maintain your youthful vigor and overall well-being.
What is Autophagy?
Autophagy, derived from the Greek words for "self" and "eating," enables the body to recycle aging or dying cells and replace them with new and improved ones. It allows cells to eliminate malfunctioning or aged components, effectively clearing out cellular waste and promoting overall cellular health. Just as autophagy aids in shedding poorly functioning or aged cells, it can also slow down the aging process, with some experts suggesting it can even reverse aging to some degree.
Understanding the regulation and potential therapeutic applications of autophagy can lead to innovative approaches in all realms of health, from skincare to sports medicine to cognitive preservation!
How to incorporate intermittent fasting with autophagy
Adopting an intermittent fasting regimen, such as time-restricted feeding (TRF), can stimulate autophagy. This involves fasting for a specific period of each day, typically 12-16 hours, followed by a shorter eating window, ideally during daylight hours. TRF can help with weight loss and can potentially contribute to the process of autophagy. When the body undergoes calorie restriction or weight loss, it can activate autophagy as a response to easing the energetic burden and cellular processes behind digestion.
When we consume food, it gets broken down into molecules in our bloodstream through the action of gut enzymes. Carbohydrates, especially sugars and refined grains, are rapidly converted into sugar, which our cells utilize for energy. Insulin facilitates the entry of sugar into fat cells and keeps it stored there.
Intermittent fasting helps the body burn off stored fat and reduce insulin levels, which allows the release and utilization of stored sugar and fat in cells for energy. Over time, lower blood glucose and insulin levels provide a huge array of health benefits to all organ systems.
Intermittent fasting has also been shown to reduce markers of oxidative stress, which are relevant to longevity. Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between damaging “free radicals” and protective antioxidants in the body. Free radicals, which are produced naturally all the time as a result of chemical reactions within the body and from external sources, can harm cells, proteins, and DNA. By reducing free radicals and boosting antioxidant levels, we can decelerate the aging process.
How else can you activate Autophagy?
There are several strategies you can incorporate into your routine beyond intermittent fasting to activate autophagy:
Regular exercise, especially resistance, aerobic and high-intensity interval training (HIIT)
For some people (depending on your genetics and health state), a high fat, low carb or ketogenic diet
Heat & cold exposure, such as sauna and cold plunges
Great sleep
Certain supplements and foods like coffee, turmeric, green tea and extra virgin olive oil
Maka Health's experts are dedicated to helping individuals optimize autophagy and promote longevity by providing personalized, preventative, and regenerative wellness based on individual health data and an optimized lifestyle.
Contact us at info@makahealth.com to learn more.
