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MURRAY -- New research shows skipping a few meals once a month is good for your health.
It may seem counterproductive: Go without eating anything and it will help you be healthier. But Dr. Benjamin Horne at Intermountain Medical Center says he found out that people who routinely fasted, say once a month, were healthier.
"Those who had narrowing of their coronary artery were less likely to have fasted regularly; and those who had clean coronaries or no narrowing of the coronary arteries were those who were more likely to fast routinely," Horne says.
The study showed a 40 percent decrease in the risk of heart disease as a result of fasting. But besides better heart health, there appeared to be other benefits too.
"One thing that was very interesting to us was that those who fasted routinely had a lower prevalence of diabetes," Horne says.
Now Horne is doing a new trial to see how fasting helps the body. He says fasting causes an acute rise in what are called longevity proteins, which potentially have some very beneficial effects in prolonging the life of cells and the body.
"It has a direct impact on your dietary behavior and, potentially, through that an impact on metabolic health," he says.
If you would like to participate in Horne's current study, you can call Amy at Intermountain Medical Center, at 801-507-4769.
E-mail: mrichards@ksl.com
