Fasting has long been associated with religious rituals, diets, and political protests. Now new evidence from cardiac researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute demonstrates that routine periodic fasting is also good for your health, and your heart. Research cardiologists at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute are reporting that fasting not only lowers one’s risk of coronary artery disease and diabetes, but also causes significant changes in a person’s blood cholesterol levels.
Both diabetes and elevated cholesterol are known risk factors for coronary heart disease. The discovery expands upon a 2007 Intermountain Healthcare study that revealed an association between fasting and reduced risk of coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death among men and women in America. In the new research, fasting was also found to reduce other cardiac risk factors, such as triglycerides, weight, and blood sugar levels.
“Fasting causes hunger or stress. In response, the body releases more cholesterol, allowing it to utilize fat as a source of fuel, instead of glucose. This decreases the number of fat cells in the body,” says lead researcher.
“This is important because the fewer fat cells a body has, the less likely it will experience insulin resistance, or diabetes.”
This recent study also confirmed earlier findings about the effects of fasting on human growth hormone (HGH), a metabolic protein. HGH works to protect lean muscle and metabolic balance, a response triggered and accelerated by fasting. During the 24-hour fasting periods, HGH increased an average of 1,300 percent in women, and nearly 2,000 percent in men.
–Intermountain Medical Center
Dr. Keith and Laurie Nemec comments on Fasting
Gods’ ways are always better than man’s ways. In this study it was shown how powerful a one day water fast can be in your total health maintenance. Not only does it decrease your cholesterol and help balance your blood sugar but it also tremendously increases your human growth hormone naturally in a way that keeps you healthy and does not increase you cancer risk from taking supplemental hormones. Throughout the bible it speaks of the power of prayer and fasting. This lifestyle change can be adopted into you total health regime as a once a week water fast. If this is too drastic then try a once a month one day water fast. Make sure you pick a day that you are not working so that you do not have added stress.
