Drinking water has some health benefits, including improving digestion blood circulation, and preventing fat accumulation. Water fasting is a popular diet method for losing weight, but is it safe for your health?

What is water fasting?

Water fasting is a diet in which you are prohibited from eating or drinking anything other than water. This diet is practiced for health reasons and as part of certain religious rituals. This diet is thought to help you lose weight while also increasing autophagy, the process by which cells regenerate themselves.

Water fasting is typically followed for 1–3 days, depending on your objectives and requirements. There are no official guidelines for the diet because more research is needed to determine its effectiveness for health. However, water fasting can generally be divided into two phases: diet and post-diet.

Diet phase

When the diet phase begins, you are not encouraged to eat and should only drink water throughout the day. You should drink 2-3 liters of water per day and avoid drinking other drinks, including electrolyte drinks. The water fasting should not last longer than three days or 72 hours.

Post-diet phase

After the diet, you may feel starving. However, eating heavy foods immediately is not recommended because it can cause discomfort. To break your fast, start with fruit smoothies or small meals.

The post-diet phase is an integral part of the water fast. During this phase, you are at risk of developing refeeding syndrome, a potentially fatal condition characterized by rapid changes in fluid and electrolyte levels. This phase usually lasts one day, but if you have been on a water fast for up to three days, adjusting to a heavy food diet can take longer.

Read more: Discover the Benefits of Flaxseed, a Fiber-Rich Superfood for Dieting.

Water Fasting: Benefits And Risks

More research is needed to determine the benefits and risks of water fasting. For the time being, the benefits are considered hypothetical. Some of the benefits may include:

Speeds up the autophagy process

Autophagy is a natural process involving recycling and rebuilding damaged cells. This process can help cells to cope with physiological stresses and defend against harmful pathogens. Several studies have shown that fasting can accelerate autophagy even while on a water diet. Autophagy benefits various organs, such as the heart, liver, kidneys, muscles, and nervous system.

Read more: Is a Gluten-free Diet Healthier?

Lower the blood pressure

Water fasting also helps to lower blood pressure. A study of obese people found that a 10-day water fasting and five days of normal eating significantly reduced blood pressure. However, hypertensive people must be under medical supervision if they wish to follow a water fast.

Reduced risk of chronic diseases

A water fast is thought to lower the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome.

Despite its numerous advantages, the water fasting method is not recommended for everyone. Some of the risks of following this diet include the risk of experiencing a loss of muscle mass, so it is not recommended for some people in the following groups:

• Underweight
• People with heart disease or issues
• Type 1 diabetics
• Have uncontrolled migraines

Further research into water fasting is required. If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or use the consultation features available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.

Looking for more information about nutrition, food, and other diet tips? Click here!