Is fasting healthy? Here's how fasting supports your gut!

Fasting is much more than just abstaining from food. Fasting can be a powerful fresh start for your body. It provides effective cleansing and can have profound effects on your digestion and well-being. In this post, we’ll explain what fasting is, the different types of fasting, and why your gut in particular benefits from it. 

People have been fasting for thousands of years, and it is deeply rooted in many religions. While it used to serve spiritual purposes, today it is primarily practiced to improve health.

Fasting refers to the temporary abstinence from certain foods or from food in general. There are many different forms of fasting: Intermittent fasting is certainly the best-known form. In this method, one eats during an 8-hour window and abstains from food for 16 hours. In therapeutic fasting, for example, one abstains from food entirely, while other variations exclude indulgences such as sweets or alcohol. 

According to scientific research , fasting has many health benefits. The gut, in particular, benefits from fasting—but why is that, exactly? 

Here's What Fasting Can Do for You! The Benefits at a Glance

When people think of fasting , they often think of simply going without food, but much more is happening inside your body. During fasting, the body activates autophagy. This is a natural self-cleansing process in which , among other things , old or damaged cells are “recycled.” Not only does the body gain energy from this, but it also acts as a cellular reset. The gut, in particular, benefits greatly from this. 

The Benefits of Fasting:

• Inflammation is reduced.
• It helps maintain a healthy balance of gut bacteria.
• The intestines are given time to regenerate.
• Damaged cells in the intestinal mucosa are regenerated, which supports intestinal cleansing at the cellular level. 

But fasting isn’t just a fresh start for your body—you can also see it as an incentive to break unhealthy habits . Maybe you’ve been meaning to cut out sugar or alcohol for a while . If so , fasting is the perfect opportunity to finally make it happen!

Effects on the Gut—How Fasting Improves Your Digestion

Fasting can greatly improve your gut health , because the body needs a lot of energy for digestion. During a fast, your digestive system finally gets time to regenerate. The gut cleanse helps regenerate the mucous membranes, stabilizes the microbiome, and reduces inflammation. One positive effect is that nutrients are absorbed and processed more effectively.

Did you know that up to 80% of your immune system is located in the gut? A healthy gut microbiome is therefore the foundation of a strong immune system—and fasting helps support exactly that by promoting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. In this way, fasting can help restore a healthy balance between beneficial and harmful bacteria. 

Here's how you can support your gut while fasting:

• Probiotic foods such as fermented vegetables (e.g., sauerkraut, kimchi) further support the gut microbiota. They promote the growth of good bacteria.
• Make sure to drink plenty of fluids! Herbal teas and water help flush out toxins more effectively and quickly.
• Exercise: Moderate walks promote bowel movements.

Tip: Especially after fasting, it’s a good idea to specifically rebuild your gut flora—for example, with probiotics such as Pro EM san.

Make it easy to get started!

You might be thinking right now: How am I supposed to go several days without eating?

Don't worry—you don't have to give up food entirely right away. You're already doing your body a big favor if, for example, you just cut out sweets .

Here's how cutting out sugar can help:

• Stabilization of blood sugar levels: no constant ups and downs caused by blood sugar spikes, fewer cravings
• Healthy gut flora: Less sugar means less food for harmful gut bacteria and fungi.

Tips on how to cut back on your sugar intake:

• Balanced meals: Protein, healthy fats, and fiber keep you feeling full for a long time and help maintain stable blood sugar levels. 
• Healthy alternatives: Instead of candy, choose fruits like apples, bananas, or dark chocolate (85% cocoa or higher)
• When you get a craving , try drinking a glass of water. Sometimes a craving is just a sign of dehydration. Or try distracting yourself with some exercise. Chewing gum or brushing your teeth can also help.

Important: Give your body time. Especially in the first few days, it may “crave” sugar. This is completely normal—and it gets easier with each passing day.

Pro EM san – Natural Support for Healthy Gut Flora

To ensure that the positive effects of fasting last over the long term, it is important to specifically support the gut flora. Especially after longer periods of fasting, a probiotic supplement such as Pro EM san can make all the difference.

This liquid, multi-species probiotic supplies the gut with over 30 different live microorganisms that help restore a healthy bacterial diversity. While fasting does give the gut a break, some people experience bloating or digestive problems afterward. Pro EM san supports a gentle transition by stabilizing the gut flora.

Tip: If you want to further strengthen your gut, you can take a Probiotics Gut Treatment Original after fasting. This treatment contains valuable probiotics that specifically supply your gut with important bacteria: soluble fiber to feed the good bacteria, and mucosal nutrients that regenerate your gut barrier. However, to optimally restore your gut flora during a strict water fast, you should not begin the gut health regimen until after the fasting period has ended.

Sources

• Impact of Intermittent Fasting on the Gut Microbiota: A Systematic Review; Theodoro Pérez-Gerdel, Milena Camargo, Mateo Alvarado, Juan David Ramírez / March 22, 2023
• The Influence of Meal Frequency and Timing on Human Health: The Role of Fasting; Antonio Paoli, Grant Tinsley, Antonino Bianco, Tatiana Moro / March 28, 2019
• Recent Advances and Health Implications of Dietary Fasting Regimens on the Gut Microbiome; Alex E. Mohr, Eric Gumpricht, Dorothy D. Sears, Karen L. Sweazea / May 2021 
• New insights into the interplay between autophagy, gut microbiota, and inflammatory responses in IBD. Anaïs Larabi, Nicolas Barnich, Hang Thi Thu Nguyen / Jan. 2020.