Benefit Seen in Fasting

[Suzanne]

Benefit Seen in Fasting

Yet another study is showing that refraining from stuffing our stomachs may increase our life spans. However, this most recent study, released at the American Heart Association's scientific sessions in Orlando, Fla., isn't saying you have to go on a very low-calorie diet to do this, as other approaches have shown.

A study from the University of Utah, based on patients who had undergone an X-ray of the blood vessels of the heart, showed people who fasted for just one day a month seemed to have healthier heart arteries as a result of their abstinence.

"People who fast seem to receive a heart-protective benefit," according to study author Dr. Benjamin Horne in a statement released by the American Heart Association.
--Riverside, Calif. Press-Enterprise, Nov. 15, 2007.

Suzanne

[Richard Myers]

I don't know that fasting one day a month will improve one's health. But, this I do know for a certainty. Any one who has the discipline to fast one day a month, will also be more careful about what they put into the mouth.  Here is difference in health between those who do fast and those who do not. Appetite has a hold on unconverted people to the degree that it is killing them.

[JimB]

This is a real interesting article about how and why fasting improves the immune system.

Fasting for as little as three days can regenerate the entire immune system, even in the elderly, scientists have found in a breakthrough described as "remarkable"....  The researchers say fasting "flips a regenerative switch" which prompts stem cells to create brand new white blood cells, essentially regenerating the entire immune system. Source

[Deb]

Looks Like Sister White was right once again! She said we would do well to fast one day a week (my words)...

[JimB]

It sounds like they were speaking of abstaining completely from food. Although they do not discuss it I'm guessing that to get this kind of a response from the body that one should not juice veggies since that would still take some effort from the body to assimilate. Anyone have any thoughts?

[colporteur]

It sounds like they were speaking of abstaining completely from food. Although they do not discuss it I'm guessing that to get this kind of a response from the body that one should not juice veggies since that would still take some effort from the body to assimilate. Anyone have any thoughts?

Completely fasting is probably most beneficial unless one is in dire need of nutrients, however a juice fast is very beneficial too because it does not take the body much effort to assimilate a healthy juice.

[Richard Myers]

It would be good to know what happens with a juice fast.  The Spirit of Prophecy, as I recall, was not a complete fast.

[JimB]

Prevention is always better. However, I thought this article was interesting in showing how fasting is beneficial.

The study showed that fasting was effective in stopping the development of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in mice that received a regimen of six cycles of one-day fasting followed by one day of feeding, implemented one or two days after their infection with the leukemia-inducing retrovirus.

The researchers wanted to know if different fasting regimens or lengths might be more effective than others. After testing several approaches, they found that a minimum of four fasting cycles was needed to eliminate leukemia. Additionally, they found that with increased numbers of fasting cycles, the survival of mice continued to improve.

Next, the researchers looked at the effectiveness of fasting on mice that had mid-stage leukemia. They found that the fasting regimen significantly reduced the infiltration of leukemic cells into the spleen and lymph nodes of the afflicted mice. More than sixty percent of the fasted mice survived more than 120 days after infection with the leukemia-inducing retrovirus. By comparison, all the control mice were dead within 58 days of infection. Source