CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — Recent research shows fasting can be a profound way to quickly and dramatically improve your immune, gut and brain health. In our clinics, we have many of our Hashimoto’s patients undergo different types of fasts because we’ve found it’s one of the surest ways to swiftly relieve their symptoms.

Humans are actually built to withstand regular periods without food. The human body is not really equipped to cope with high-carbohydrate foods, sugars, unlimited supplies of food, processed foods, industrial oils, sedentary lifestyles and other facets of everyday life for many Americans and Westerners in general.

Five ways fasting improves your health when you have Hashimoto’s

Hundreds of studies point to the benefits of fasting. Five of these benefits include the following:

Improved insulin sensitivity

Many, if not most, of our Hashimoto’s patients have chronically high blood sugar. High blood sugar comes from eating a standard American diet, which is high in processed carbohydrates (bread, white rice, white potatoes, pasta, pastries, etc.) and sugars. High blood sugar eventually leads to insulin resistance, a condition in which the body’s cells refuse to receive insulin.

Insulin carries glucose into the cells to be used to make energy. However, when you eat a diet high in carbohydrates and sugars, this overwhelms the cellular insulin receptors. This not only creates fatigue after meals but also dysregulates numerous metabolic pathways, promotes inflammation and autoimmunity and speeds up degeneration of the brain. Insulin resistance is also a stepping stone to type 2 diabetes.

Including periods of fasting into your daily routine has been shown to help cells become more insulin-sensitive. For instance, one study found restricting eating to a window of only eight hours each day significantly improved insulin resistance. This in turn dampens the inflammation, metabolic imbalances and brain degeneration caused by insulin resistance.

Improved immune function

Intermittent fasting (fasting for 12-18 hours each day) has been shown to improve immune function by reducing inflammation and the damage from inflammation. It also regulates immune function (which is great for autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto’s), regenerates immune cells and can even lower the risk of cancer.

Improved brain function

Fasting and intermittent fasting can dramatically improve brain function. One way it does this is by boosting a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor protects your brain from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s by supporting neuronal health.

Fasting also supports autophagy, or the removal of dead and dying cells in the brain. This is essentially like cleaning house and helps your brain function more efficiently. Fasting also reduces brain inflammation and supports brain repair.

Improved cardiovascular function

Regular fasting can decrease low-density lipoprotein, commonly known as “bad” cholesterol. People with Hashimoto’s often struggle with elevated levels of LDL, and fasting is another tool to help lower it.

Improved gut function

Many of our patients have leaky gut and poor gut immunity along with Hashimoto’s. Regular fasting helps them quickly and dramatically recover their gut health. Fasting has been shown to lower inflammation in the gut and create a healthier composition of gut bacteria.

Fasting works its wonders by switching the body from burning glucose for fuel to burning ketones, which are stored in body fat. Being in ketosis, in general, appears to reduce inflammation, support regeneration and regulate metabolism. These are all areas where people with Hashimoto’s can be supported by fasting.

Fasting is not for everyone

Before I explain the different types of fasts we use with our patients, I need to caution you that fasting is not for everyone. Although it can be an adjustment at first, fasting should make you feel better, not worse. You should be able to perform your usual daily activities.

Below are some situations in which fasting can make you worse instead of better.

Chronically low blood sugar 

If you have chronically low blood sugar, don’t try to fast until you can stabilize it. This means you may need to eat a healthy protein breakfast first thing in the morning and eat every two to three hours. You also need to avoid sweets, processed carbs, fruits, fruit juices, fruit smoothies, honey and other sweeteners, no matter how natural.

Once your blood sugar is stable and you can go for longer periods without symptoms, you may be able to handle fasting safely. Symptoms of low blood sugar include:

• Waking up at 3-4 a.m. feeling anxious. This happens because your blood sugar crashes during the night and your body releases stress hormones to keep the brain fueled.

• Waking up nauseous or repelled by the idea of food. Low blood sugar dysregulates appetite centers in the brain, and the stress hormones released during the night to keep your brain fueled cause nausea.

• Feeling lightheaded, weak, nauseous or irritable between meals or if you go too long without eating. This happens because your body cannot sustain your blood sugar levels.

• Craving sugar constantly. Sugar provides energy, something people with low blood sugar crave.

• Feeling more energetic after eating. Eating should not give you more or less energy. Your energy should be consistent throughout the day. Feeling energetic after meals means your blood sugar was low.

Adrenal autoimmunity

Some people aren’t able to regulate their low blood sugar no matter how hard they try. We find these patients often test positive for adrenal autoimmunity. The adrenal glands release stress hormones and are instrumental in preventing blood sugar crashes. If they’re being damaged by an autoimmune disorder, you may not have success overcoming low blood sugar symptoms. In this case, it’s not advised to fast. You can test for adrenal autoimmunity with a 21-hydroxylase antibody test.

Some brain disorders

Although fasting and ketogenic diets have ample amounts of research showing they are very restorative to brain health, in his Kharrazian Institute neuroinflammation course, Dr. Datis Kharrazian presented a case in which a brain trauma consumes so much of the patient’s energy that they’re not able to fast without crashing and experiencing a flare-up of symptoms.

If you have had a past brain injury or are struggling with brain health, you may need to use trial-and-error to see whether this is an issue for you. Fasting shouldn’t flare up your inflammation or your symptoms, or cause a general worsening of health. It should make you feel better.

Diabetes medication

If you’re on medication for diabetes, fasting could cause your blood sugar to go too low. You should consult with your doctor if you want to try fasting.

History of eating disorders

People with a history of eating disorders or disordered eating typically have a history of starving themselves for extended periods and may find fasting triggers them into bingeing, obsessive thinking about food and other unhealthy behaviors.

Although fasting has been shown to reduce cravings and appetite, human studies have been largely short-term, observational and done on overweight middle-aged people. If the six to eight-hour feeding windows turn into uncontrollable feeding frenzies, or if fasting for one or more days is followed by days of bingeing, fasting is not healthy for you.

Pregnant or trying to become pregnant

Fasting is not recommended during pregnancy, as the demands of pregnancy on the body are so great.

Six different types of fasting that can help improve your autoimmunity, gut function and brain health

A variety of different methods of fasting exist today. Below I will go over six different fasting strategies that have been shown to be beneficial.

Fasting once a week: In our office, we suggest our Hashimoto’s patients fast once a week for 24 hours, drinking water with some Himalayan sea salt in it. This will help with adrenal function and electrolyte balance.

Fasting once a month: If our patients are able to do so comfortably, we then ask them to fast once a month for 36-48 hours. Again, we suggest our patients use Himalayan sea salt in their water.

Fasting part of each day, or intermittent fasting: Perhaps the most popular form of fasting is called intermittent fasting. This entails fasting for 12-18 hours each day, starting in the evening and ending the following day around lunchtime. The different types of intermittent fasting are as follows. 

5:2 fasting: This is one of the more popular intermittent fasting methods. Eat normally for five days, and then eat 500 calories for women or 600 calories for men on the two other days of the week. Choose whichever days you like to fast, but try and choose days where you won’t be overly active or stressed.

Time-restricted fasting: Fast for 12-18 hours each day. Some experts suggest women do not fast for more than 14 hours. This typically involves skipping breakfast and eating an early dinner; most of your time fasting is while you’re asleep. Even fasting only 12 hours overnight can you give benefits, although they won’t be as significant as longer fasts.

Alternate-day fasting: Every other day, eat 25% of your calorie needs, or about 500 calories. On the other days, eat normally.

To learn more about our services and to schedule a free consultation, please visit our website. We work with your prescribing physician for optimal results. Do not discontinue medication or hormone replacement therapy without consulting your prescribing physician.

Written by JOSH REDD, chiropractic physician at RedRiver Health and Wellness Center.

• S P O N S O R E D   C O N T E N T •

About Josh Redd

Josh Redd, MS, DABFM, DAAIM, is a chiropractic physician and author of the Amazon bestselling book “The Truth About Low Thyroid.” Redd owns seven functional medicine clinics in the western United States and sees patients from across the country and around the world who are suffering from challenging autoimmune, endocrine and neurological disorders.

He studied immunology, virology and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins where he is a MaPHB candidate. He also teaches thousands of health care practitioners about functional medicine and immunology, thyroid health, neurology, lab testing and more.

Resources

• RedRiver Health and Wellness Center | Address: 1490 E. Foremaster Drive #130, St. George | Telephone: 435-767-9355 | Email: [email protected] | RedRiver Health and Wellness Center.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.