I spoke recently about my concerns with the weight loss injections and potential side effects to be reserved for patients, where lifestyle measures such as fasting, have tried and failed and more serious intervention is needed.

As you might be aware, over the years I have become a big fan of fasting and during the recent Integrative and Personalised Medicine conference I was keenly aware that using food, fasting and diets such as keto were hot topics once again with companies like Keto Mojo, and talks from Prof. Valter Longo, Dorian Greenow and Layla Gordon.

The evidence is compelling: intermittent fasting can help with weight control, supports fat-burning hormone production, boosting metabolism, lowering insulin levels and reducing insulin resistance; it improves the gut microbiome, helps regulate blood sugar, reduces liver fat, cholesterol and blood pressure and lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The evidence strongly supports its role in improving metabolic health and also potentially cognitive function which is promising for the world of dementia and Alzheimer’s research – now the leading cause of death in the UK.

Intermittent fasting (IF) is a method I regularly recommend to patients – not just for weight management, but also for disease prevention and, in some cases, reversing aspects of chronic illness. Our bodies are biologically designed to handle periods without food much more than they can handle the over-abundance and access to food which is now a very real problem in the Western world. And what the evidence is now showing us is that not only can our bodies handle fasting – they thrive off it.

Perhaps the most remarkable benefit of fasting is that when prolonged, it can trigger a process called autophagy. This is where the body naturally clears out toxins from the cells as well as any dead or damaged cells, recycling their components and prompting regeneration of healthy cells. As well as anti-ageing and longevity benefits, this means fasting also has the potential to lower the risk of getting and possibly fighting diseases such as cancer and dementia.

If you would like to learn more about fasting and some top tips on how to do it well, please check out my most recent podcast NCIM Podcast – NCIM – National Centre for Integrative Medicine where I speak to Don Gordon, a degree-qualified functional Nutritional Practitioner with a passion for fasting, longevity and metabolic health. Don and I have also designed a 10 hour CPD approved course on fasting, primarily for health practitioners wishing to explore fasting with their patients: Introduction to Integrative Medicine – Part 2 Fasting for Longevity, Wellness and Lifespan (Accredited)

Dr Elizabeth Thompson