Can intermittent fasting increase the risk of developing cancer?

Stopping eating temporarily seems like an obvious solution for those looking to lose weight, however, it is definitely not the healthiest. After all, there are many risks of practicing intermittent fasting and the consequences can be fatal. At least that's what this new study shows, which points out that fasting can result in infections, diseases cardiac and even cancer.

Effect of intermittent fasting on our immunity

According to a recent study published by the scientific journal Immunity, practicing intermittent fasting will directly affect your immunity. To arrive at this conclusion, scientists from the US hospital Mount Sinai analyzed how some mice reacted to long periods without eating.

So, it was possible to conclude that skipping a meal caused the number of white blood cells in the bone marrow of mice to decrease by up to 90%. This is an alarming number, since these blood cells are responsible for maintaining our immune system. With that, we would have less defense against diseases.

Furthermore, the study also showed that the effects can last even after reintroducing the food. This is because mice that were fasted for 24 hours and then fed developed inflammation with the return of monocytes to the blood. Which shows that our body does not react well to fasting.

controversies

While these studies are alarming, there is indeed some scientific evidence that points to a supposed benefit of fasting. These benefits appear mainly when the practice is related to physical exercises. However, doctors warn that it is always necessary to be careful with excess and recurrence of the method.

In addition, healthy and balanced eating will always be a more effective way to lose weight without any side effects. For this, you need to turn to specialized professionals who can help you, such as nutritionists, doctors and physical educators. Because the focus cannot be weight loss at any cost, but the slimming healthy.