All You Need to Know About Water Fasting & its Benefits

There are several topics already if we talk about weight loss. And yet again, water fasting gained so much popularity in terms of health benefits.

Water fasting is fasting where an individual drinks only water and restricts food on one particular day in a week.

Most people have tried this fasting for weight loss, most for detoxifying, and most people reap the health benefits.

Water fasting makes it happen to lose weight but only short term. However, a study shows that water fasting is associated with health benefits like

1. Reduce chronic disease
2. Autophagy – A process in which body break down unnecessary dysfunctional component and recycle old cellular.
   1. This process helps in losing weight instantly
   2. Help you live longer
   3. Can prevent cancer
3. Lower blood pressure
4. Prevent Diabetes

What is Water Fasting?

Water fasting is known to be consumed only water and resist all foods on that day.

According to medical counsel, most people follow this fasting as per their capability, which suggests that a person can follow this fast from 1 day to a maximum of 3 days.

People generally follow this fasting for:

1. Improve their health
2. Detoxifying
3. To lose weight
4. The religious and spiritual reason

According to studies, it shows that water fasting is associated with some fruitful health well being like

1. Improve heart health
2. Prevent some cancer
3. Prevent from diabetes

Health Benefits of water fasting

Several medical studies on water fasting in human and animal have found diversify benefits

Lower Blood Pressure

When we consume too much salt, which contains sodium, our body tends to hold more water to flash out those salt from the body, leading to high blood pressure.

Drinking water only and consuming no salt lead you to lower blood pressure.

A study has shown that a group of 174 people those having high blood pressure fasted for almost 10-11 days, and at last of fasting, 90% of people achieved their blood pressure lower than before.

Means water fasting appears to be safe and effective for lowering hypertension.

Prevent Diabetes

It shows that fasting or dieting improves the resistance of insulin.

Insulin resistance is the leading cause that leads to the development of type-2 diabetes.

Research shows that water fasting increases insulin sensitivity, which means that the higher the sensitivity of insulin hormones, the more effective and efficient its in reducing blood sugar levels. (study)

It testified that fast water can enhance insulin sensitivity and can decrease the chances of diabetes.  

Lower the possibility of heart diseases

There are few studies on water fasting related to chronic disease.

But one study, in which a group of healthy 30 adults sticks with 24 hours of water fasting. After that day, those who stick with water fasting have found lower cholesterol and triglycerides, which are the primary threat to heart disease.

Risk of Water Fasting

While there are few benefits of water fasting, here are some of the risk factors.

Digestion Discomfort

In this fasting, you cannot eat foods at all; after the water fasting, you could consume foods in large amounts, leading to a digestion problem and nausea.

Although, consuming high calories just after fasting may have the wrong impact on refeeding syndrome ( A condition that implies rapid metabolic changes).

Dehydration

Dehydration in water fasting may sound strange. But the reality is most people consuming water (about 20% of water) from the food they eat.

In water fasting, where you are just allowed to drink water and restrict food, you actually might not be drinking enough water.

If you don’t expand the consumption of water, you will probably end up with these consequences

1. Dizziness
2. Headaches
3. Nausea
4. Low blood pressure
5. Constipation

If you feel any of them during water fasting, drink some water to avoid symptoms and drinks more water than usual.

Fatigue and Dizziness

Due to low calories and calories, the restriction may result in fatigue and dizziness.

When we don’t allow our body to consume calories, it becomes hard for the body to perform any activities.

Water fasting may also affect focusing and create trouble while working. Also, fasting can cause headaches.

What to Eat in Water Fasting?

As the name appears water fasting, it means fasting but with water. Only can consume water in this fasting, and no foods and liquids.

Water fast can be done up to 40 days, but generally, people go with one day to 3, but if you want to extend the time duration to reap the health benefits, consult with the doctor and do it under medical supervision.

Where all things limited in this fasting except water, but those who want to do it anyhow but can not make it with just water can go with:

1. Coconut water restricted
2. Green juices

If you can do it without these drinks, that will be more advantageous.

Is Water Fasting Good for Losing Weight?

Water fasting can lead you, but it also comes with few health problems.

You can lose weight by following other fasting and dieting plan like the keto diet, intermittent fasting. These dieting and fasting are advantageous and can manage healthy weight for an extended period, although these fasting and diet have similar health benefits.

Also, intermittent fasting is yet the most effective fasting nowadays, allowing you to eat foods and manage nutrients deficiency very effectively.

Also Read: Intermittent Fasting For Weight Loss | The Popular 16/8, 5:2, Eat Stop Eat Method

Who Should Avoid It – Water Fasting

List of people who should avoid water fasting

1. People with type 1-2 diabetes
2. Those who under 18 and older adults
3. Underweight people
4. Not for pregnant women
5. People whose suffering from gout
6. If you are breastfeeding mother’s
7. People who suffer from migraine
8. People with low blood pressure

Final Verdict

Water fasting may come with health benefits but also come with several risks. By following water fasting, you may lose up to 2 pounds in a day, but you are not losing fat. In water fasting, you may lose water weight; it can be the carb weight, and it can be your muscle mass, So it’s not your fat loss that you will be scaling.

You may try this fasting for a straight three days to reap the health benefits.

But if you are looking at this fasting for losing weight, you are probably looking at the wrong fasting platform.

Try intermittent fasting, which is easy, effective, and much more enjoyable.

Thank You