Scientific study on fasting
Namaskar,
Fasting has long been a practice advocated by yogis. As the Sadguru,
Baba has specially given the most ideal system of fasting. This practice
of fasting gives us innumerable benefits. In a phrase, it allows the
body to repair itself and that is why we always feel better after
fasting. Now the scientific research community is finding evidence that
corroborates our viewpoint. Modern day scientists are discovering how
the fasting process cleanses, purges, and rejuvenates the physical body.
It actually counteracts the aging process by enabling the cells to
repair and purify damaged cells. Please read below.
Here following are two articles:
#1: How fasting increases longevity
by cleaning and repairing damages cells
"mTOR Theory: mTOR, a protein that inhibits autophagy has been linked to
aging through the Insulin signaling pathway. It has been found, in
various model species, that caloric restriction leads to longer
lifespans, and it is thought that mTOR is the reason why. mTOR functions
through nutrient and growth cues leading scientists to believe that
dietary restriction and mTOR are related in terms of longevity. When
organisms restrict their diet their mTOR’s activity is reduced which
allows for more autophagy, or cell self-eating, to occur.”
“Autophagy is a cell’s way to clean house and recycle old or damaged
cell parts, and keep the cells and the body running efficiently. When
cells self-eat or clean up their damaged or old parts often, your body
is healthier and functions properly which increases ones longevity and
decreases the chances of being obese. This is thought to be because
people can metabolize glucose better, never allowing glucose to spike in
blood concentration. Since there is less glucose entering the body
there will be less Insulin signaling occurs. This has been linked to
less mTOR activation as well.”
“Therefore longevity has been connected to caloric restriction and
insulin sensitivity inhibiting mTOR, which in turns allows autophagy to
occur more frequently. Since autophagy cleans cells of damaged proteins
and cell parts it may be that mTOR inhibition and autophagy reduces the
effects of Reactive Oxygen Species on the body, which damaged DNA and
other organic material. Since Autophagy recycles damaged or old parts of
cells reactive oxygen species damage would be reduced and recycled to
make functioning cells, and longevity would be increased."
Limiting caloric intake means living longer
"In 2007, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies
identified a critical gene in nematode worms that specifically links
eating fewer calories with living longer. Professor Andrew Dillin and
colleagues showed that the gene pha-4 regulates the longevity response
to calorie restriction.”
“mTOR inhibition and the frequent activation of autophagy has been shown
to increase longevity in model organisms such as yeast, flies, and
mice. mTor inhibition and autophagy have also been linked to insulin
sensitivity and the reduction of reactive oxygen species damage, which
is another major proposed cause to aging. It has become clear that
autophagy activation in the body by mTOR inhibition increases longevity.
mTOR inhibition reduces Reactive Oxygen Species damage by activating
autophagy, which will recycle the damaged parts of cells and re use them
for functioning parts.”
“This process reduces ROS damage to a reasonable amount, therefore
increasing longevity. mTOR inhibition has also been linked to other
major aging diseases. mTOR inhibition has helped treat neurodegenerative
diseases like Alzheimer’s in mice. It has also been used to reduce
tumor growth in several cancers including renal, breast, and several
other rare cancers. Finally mTOR inhibition is also linked to reducing
obesity and increasing immune function. The mTOR inhibition reduces the
likelihood of diet induced and age induced obesity in mice, but in some
cases led to glucose intolerance. Caloric restriction and exercise are
two ways to activate autophagy and inhibit mTOR which can help resolve
all of these common age related health issues.”
“Decreased mTOR activity has been found to extend aging in S.
cerevisiae, C. elegans, and D. melanogaster. The mTOR inhibitor
rapamycin has been confirmed to increase lifespan in mice by independent
groups at the Jackson Laboratory, University of Texas Health Science
Center, and the University of Michigan."
Dietary regimes like fasting extends lifespan
"It is hypothesized that some dietary regimes, like caloric restriction
and methionine restriction, cause lifespan extension by decreasing mTOR
activity. But infusion of leucine into the rat brain has been shown to
decrease food intake and body weight via activation of the mTOR
pathway.”
“In a systems biology study by A. Kriete et al. 2010, effects of mTOR
inhibition on aging are modeled: According to the free radical theory of
aging, reactive oxygen species cause damage of mitochondrial proteins
and decrease of ATP production. Subsequently, via ATP sensitive AMPK,
the mTOR pathway is inhibited and ATP consuming protein synthesis is
downregulated, since mTORC1 initiates a phosphorylation cascade
activating the ribosome. Hence, the proportion of damaged proteins is
enhanced. Moreover, disruption of mTORC1 directly inhibits mitochondrial
respiration. These positive feedbacks on the aging process are
counteracted by protective mechanisms: Decreased mTOR activity (among
other factors) upregulates glycolysis and removal of dysfunctional
cellular components via autophagy." (1)
---
#2: Life-extending effects of intermittent fasting
"It was the thoughts on the health and possibly life-extending effects
of intermittent fasting in the last installment of this series that
brought up the involvement of 5'-adenosine monophospate (AMP)-activated
protein kinase (AMPK) in both the weight, or we should say, fat loss and
possible life-extending and anti-cancer effects of (intermittent)
fasting. Now, before we even delve into a more detailed discussion of
its relation to its "antagonist", the mammalian target of rapamyacin
(mTOR), it would appear prudent to begin today's 6th installment of the
Intermittent Thoughts on Intermittent Fasting series with a brief review
of AMPK's effect(s) on protein synthesis, adipose tissue metabolism and
apoptosis.”
“We already know that both fasting and exercise trigger increases in
AMPK enzyme expression, which in and out of itself acts as an
intracellular sensor that registers elevated AMP/adenosie tri-phospate
(ATP) and inorganic phospate(Pi)/phosphocreatine (PCr) ratios - in
short, it registers when you are running out of fuel. It is thus obvious
that the main function of AMPK within muscle cells is to maintain
energy stores at homeostatic levels. In order to achieve that, the
5’-adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase enzyme
upregulates catabolic processes and downregulates anabolic processes.
The (entailing) overall effects the phosphorylation, i.e. the
activation, of AMPK has on your metabolism are yet more complex than
this dichotomous distinction would suggest - its tissue specific effects
are illustrated in figure 2:"
Allows the body to rebuild, repair and recycle
"The fast (regardless of whether its background is a religious one or
not) breaks the vicious cycle of chronic mTOR (over-)expression and
allows the body to start necessary and beneficial catabolic breakdown
processes to rebuild, repair and recycle what got damaged and patched
together raggedly in the course of the "anabolic" phase. Now, just as
even someone with the repair-skills of Bob the Builder ("I can fix
it!"), would obviously - at some point - be unable to make up for the
wear and tear the furnishings in his house are exposed to, the well
oiled cellular repair-machinery of our bodies will also hit a wall, when
all the debris is cleared and the excess energy that had been stored
away in times of nutritional abundance is either running short or cannot
be accessed fast enough to satisfy acute energy demands (specifically
of the brain). Yet, while the latter would obviously be much more
likely, when after the "magical" ~16h, after which the glucose stores in
our livers begin to dwindle (cf. Intermittent Thoughts - Myth 2), the
undesirable result of the energy shortage, i.e. catabolism, would always
be the same.”
“Without the presence of a chronical overabundance of energy and the
consequent over-expression of mTOR in the presence of readily available
substrates for fatty acid synthethase, fat storage would however not be a
concern. Moreover, if the AMPK-mTOR cycle is intact, the excess energy
that is not used for protein synthesis, but stored during the anabolic
phase, will come handy to fuel the repair processes when (during a
"fast") AMPK takes the reign.”
“A chronic overexpression of AMPK and consequent catabolism of
metablically active tissue (muscle and organ tissue) is unquestionable
as undesirable as the fattening, cancer-promoting and life-shortening
effects of chronic activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin
(mTOR)." (2)
Conclusion
The above scientific articles asserts that fasting enables the cells of
the body to repair and cleanse themselves. This enables the body to gain
a greater level of health. And this entire process slows the aging
process thereby increasing longevity. And the trigger point for this
entire equation is limiting or completely stopping one’s caloric intake.
Namaskar,
In Him,
Kalyansundaram
References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Suppversity
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated
to the above material.
They stand on their own as points of interest.
* * *
== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==
I preached sermons to others; while I myself never followed
"Áloker ei jharańá dháráy,snána kare tumi esecho..." (Prabhat Samgiita #0966)
Purport:
O’ Parama Purusa, after bathing in the fountain of spiritual and divine effulgence, You have come. You are the Supreme Entity. O’ Lord, I was drowned in filth. I was completely caught in maya. You graciously lifted me up from the mud of maya, holding my hands. After cleaning me You loving placed me on Your divine lap.
About spiritual effulgence: Parama Purusa has no shape but in the language of philosophy it is expressed that He is the embodiment of spiritual effulgence. From time to time for the welfare of humanity and His creation He descends on this earth in human form as Mahasambhuti. So in the language of poetry, it is expressed that, O’ Mahasambhuti You have come after bathing in spiritual effulgence. You are blemishless, without any samskara. However You take Your samkalpa in that way You manifest Your liila in day to day life. Alternately, human beings are bound by their samskara, i.e. stains.
Baba, in my happiness, in my good days I remained forgetful of You. I did not do meditation or followed 16 Points. I only cried for Your help when I was caught in danger or in crises. In my days of happiness I enjoyed alone. But when I committed a mountain of sin then those sins I left at Your feet. I told all that the joy and credit of my attainments, of my victory, was due to my own hard labour. I bragged how I achieved everything due to my own efforts. Parama Purusa did nothing. And when I committed bad deeds and wallowed in sin, I told all that You were the cause. I said that You misdirected my mind. I blamed You for the mountain of my sins. I always remained puffed up with ego. I never surrendered at Your lotus feet. Even then You looked at me with so much love and affection. You love me so much.
O’ Parama Purusa Baba, I just sang of my own greatness, and remained busy in self-praise all the time. I never never thought of You. I always drifted in the crudity of selfishness. I didn’t do righteous, dharmic deeds. Just I taught and preached dharmic sermons to others; while I myself never followed those high ideals. But hypocritically I projected myself as a great bhakta before all to boost my image. Even then, You forgave my evil deeds and brought me to the path of righteousness, niiti, and dharma. Baba, You are so gracious...
== Section 3:
Ananda Vanii ==
By your action, sadhana, & service
Original Ananda Vanii states: “It is action that makes a person
great. Be great by your sádhaná, by your service, by your sacrifice.”
(Ananda Vanii #20)
Everyone should render service to the world
In this following quote, here yajina means action
Ananda Marga ideology states, "Yajiṋa is performed to achieve
emancipation from the consequences of action and to annihilate the Unit
“I”. The fourfold services enumerated under Nr yajiṋa can be easily be
performed by anyone. Every human being gets more or less opportunity for
rendering services. If a poor man thinks that he cannot render
Vaeshyocita type of service because he is devoid of money he is wrong.
The charity of a few paise of the poor has the same value as a thousand
rupees from a millionaire. Indeed the charity of these few paise is
greater. Lord Krśńa attached greater importance to a handfuls of
grains from Vidura than to the sumptuous royal dishes of Duryodhana.
Even so, everyone should render service to the world in accordance with
their capacity and work for the welfare of the living beings to the best
of their ability. Perform viprocita type of service by projecting your
convictions to others as best as you can. Let every person perform the
four kinds of service as much as possible. Adhyátma yajiṋa is an
internal yajiṋa and ultimately it terminates in Paramátman, the
original self. Therefore, your Sádhaná should be with a detached
sentiment. All types of Yajiṋa begin and proceed in an externalized
manner, but ultimately they will reverse their course towards the inner
self and will gratify your innermost entity on the jewelled throne
attained by your birthright. Remember, no one yajiṋa is inferior to
another." (1)
Note: Sadguru Baba has assigned a number to all His original and
true Ananda Vaniis. In contrast, Fake Ananda Vaniis do not have any
number. By this simple formula, one can easily recognise which is a
true Ananda Vanii and which is fake. For the upcoming occasion of
January 1st 2017, all Ananda Marga units should use one of Baba’s
original and true Ananda Vaniis, not a fake one. By this way, one
will surely get His blessing.
Reference
1. Subhasita Samgraha - 1, Yajiṋa and Karmaphala
== Section 4:
Important Teaching ==
Why sin is irrelevant for us
Ananda Marga ideology states, “Another thing to bear in mind is that
“sin” in the English language is not the pápa of Sanskrit. As already
said, “sin” means to go against that prescribed in the Bible. But pápa
is explained in the phrase Paropakárah puńyáya pápáya parapiid́anam
– that is, “Any action by one individual which leads to the development
of others is puńya [virtuous deeds], and any action which does the
opposite is pápa.” (1)
Reference
1. Subhasita Samgraha - 21, Niiti and Dharma
== Section 5:
Links ==
Recent postings
Other topics of interest
