Autophagy is your body’s way of getting rid of damaged cells. This essential cleaning process helps to promote building of new, healthy cells and is a needed for cellular rejuvenation and longevity.
What is Autophagy?
Autophagy destroys
foreign invaders in your body like viruses, bacteria and other pathogens. Autophagy
helps to detoxify the cells of harmful materials. However, it tends to slow
down with age. When this happens, it can create a wide variety of diseases such
as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. There
are a number of ways to activate and increase the natural process of autophagy
which then helps us to prevent many health problems. Heard of intermittent fasting? Here is a full explanation.
How does it work?
Autophagy activation
is a powerful way to treat many diseases. Autophagy normally happens at a rate
of continuous supply in most cells. It eliminates protein masses forming and
damaged small structures in cells that have functions like small organs but are
within the cell itself. These are called organelles. This happens so that your
body maintains a healthy balance within the cell for it to work properly. It includes
reduction in the production of energy by a part of the cell called mitochondria
via a process called, mitophagy. Mitophagy is the removal of damaged
mitochondria (the structure that produces energy in the cell) All this is to
keep your cells healthy.
This is a process
that limits both the production of reactive oxygen species and the release of
toxic proteins which can damage RNA, DNA or proteins needed by the body. This
destruction happens in many illnesses such as neurodegenerative disorders,
metabolic conditions, infectious diseases and cancers. These things can disrupt
autophagy or inhibit it.
The disruption and
inhibition of autophagy can increase disease. However, in some other cases autophagy
may be good regarding the development of a disease. Inducing autophagy has been
shown to increase longevity and help with some neurodegenerative diseases as
well as inhibiting autophagy inhibition has been used as a strategy for treating
some cancers. Basically, cyclical autophagy is a natural way to help improve
your health and longevity.
How to boost Autophagy
To help achieve
these benefits you need to boost autophagy naturally. You do this through healthy
lifestyle strategies. The most effective way is to fast. This is because autophagy
is stimulated during various pathological and physiological states like starvation.
Starvation induced autophagy is a way to control cells by destroying proteins,
carbohydrates and lipids. This then lets the cell adapt its metabolism to meet
its energy needs. Water-only fasts are a form of starvation that induce
autophagy. Even only as little as 200 calories can inhibit the process. This starvation
period needs to be around at least 16 hours longer if possible. However, autophagy
cannot remain activated all the time as you need to let the cells rebuild and
rejuvenate. Rejuvenation happens during the re-feeding phase which is why
cyclical fasting and feeding both need to be done.
Precautions you must take
