Spring is almost here and at the start of this new season we often do a big cleaning in the house. But have you ever thought of thoroughly cleaning your body? Autophagy is the process in our body that prevents the aging process. In this article, we'll explain what autophagy is and why you should start today to help your body lend a hand in this process.
What is Autophagy?
One of the ways the body is detoxified through a natural process called autophagy is how your body clears out cellular clutter and makes your systems hum. Autophagy means 'eat yourself', but rest assured, this is a good thing. Autophagy is your body's method of clearing out damaged cells and toxins, allowing you to regenerate newer, healthier cells. Early research suggests that you can actually increase autophagy, which can reduce inflammation, protect against disease, and even support anti-aging.
Over time, our cells accumulate a variety of dead organelles, damaged proteins and oxidized particles that clog the inner workings of the body. This accelerates the effects of aging and age-related diseases, as cells are unable to divide and function normally.
This cell regeneration process is critical to your overall health. Your body's lack of the ability to support this cell regeneration process has been linked to several neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's disease.
Because many of our cells, like those in the brain, must last a lifetime, the body has developed a unique way of getting rid of those faulty parts and naturally defending itself against disease. Read: Autophagy
AUTOPHAGY MEANS 'EAT YOURSELF'. IT IS A DETOXIS PROCESS YOUR BODY UNDERGOES TO CLEAN DAMAGED CELLS AND REGENERATE NEW.
ALTHOUGH THE BODY IS ALREADY PERFORMING AUTOPHAGY, YOU CAN MAKE AUTOPHAGY AND ITS BENEFITS POSSIBLY INCREASE WITH A DIET AND BODY MOVEMENT.
EARLY RESEARCH INDICATES AUTOPHAGY CAN REDUCE INFLAMMATION, PREVENT OR DELAY DEVELOPMENT OF NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES - AND EVEN EXTEND LIFE.
How Autophagy Works
Think of your body as a kitchen. After you prepare a meal, clean up the counter, throw out the leftovers, and recycle some of the food. The next day you have a clean kitchen. This is autophagy doing its thing in your body and doing it well.
Now think of the same scenario, but you are older and not that efficient. After preparing your meal, you leave leftovers on the counter. Some of it ends up in the garbage, some not. The leftovers get stuck on the counter, trash can and trash can; toxic waste starts to accumulate in your kitchen. There is food fermentation on the floor and all kinds of unpleasant smells are coming out the door.
Due to the onslaught of pollutants and toxins, you have a hard time keeping up with daily grime. This scenario is similar to autophagy not working as well as it should.
Autophagy usually hums quietly behind the scenes in maintenance mode. It plays a role in the way your body responds to periods of stress, maintains balance and regulates cellular function.
There is some evidence that when you activate autophagy, you slow down the aging process, reduce inflammation and improve your overall performance. To help your body resist disease and support longevity, you can naturally increase your autophagy response.
The benefits of autophagy
We are just starting to understand how autophagy works in the body, and what we know so far is mainly based on rodent research. Mice are not humans, but the evidence is compelling. It states that autophagy:
- Control inflammation, slow down the aging process and protect against neurodegenerative diseases.
- Works on infection control and immunity support.
- Helps you live longer by improving the metabolic fitness of cells by removing damaged organelles and proteins.
How to Increase Autophagy to Keep Your Cells Fresh
Now that we know the benefits of autophagy, we naturally also want to know how we can increase this.
There are several ways you can speed up your body's autophagy process. To cleanse your cells and reduce inflammation, and keep your body in top condition in general, follow these five simple steps to speed up the autophagy process.
Keep in mind that since autophagy is a response to stress, you have to trick your body into thinking it is under a bit of attack. Here's how ...
Eat good fats and few carbohydrates
Fat must be the dominant macronutrient in our diet because it is different from protein. While protein can turn into carbohydrates and sugar.
Specifically, a keto diet gives you an edge when it comes to autophagy. The shift from burning glucose (carbohydrates) to ketones (fats) mimics what naturally occurs in a fasting state - and this can increase autophagy.
Limit proteins
Once or twice a week, limit your protein consumption to 15g-25g per day. This gives your body a full day to recycle protein, which will help reduce inflammation and cleanse your cells without losing muscle. During this time, while autophagy is activated, your body is forced to consume its own proteins and toxins, instead of incoming amino acids.
Start intermittent fasting
Research suggests that autophagy and fasting go hand in hand, as you can speed up the autophagic process by limiting your eating schedule.
Wondering How Long You Should Fast for Autophagy? In a 2010 study, mice fasted for 24 or 48 hours to promote autophagy. It is not (yet) clear how that translates to humans, but we do know that intermittent fasting is associated with weight loss, insulin sensitivity and a lower risk of disease.
Start interval training
Another reason to hit the gym: Exercise has been shown in both humans and rodent studies to help induce autophagy. In a 2018 study, 12 men completed an eight-week exercise program that consisted of continuous cycling or high-intensity intervals for three days a week. The researchers concluded that both training styles support autophagy, which supports the idea that all movement is good movement.
Lifting weights and strength training for 30 minutes every other day is the best way to activate autophagy. It's about getting into that short, acute stress, because autophagy loves the stress of interval training.
Get plenty of sleep
You can also reap the benefits of autophagy while you sleep. A 2016 rodent study suggests that autophagy follows circadian rhythms, and that sleep fragmentation - or brief sleep interruptions - appears to disrupt autophagy.
Have you not been sleeping well lately? Learn how to improve your sleeping habits so you can get much-needed quality rest and reap the great benefits of autophagy.
Sources include; Cell research (link), Pubmed.gov (link), Pubmed.gov (link), Pubmed.gov (link), Pubmed.gov (link), Pubmed.gov (link), Pubmed (link)
