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Is Water-Only Fasting Safe?

Ewa Ogłodek1,2, Wiesław Pilis Prof1

  • 1Mai Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Science, Krakow, Poland.

Global Advances in Health and Medicine
|August 20, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Eight days of water-only fasting (WF) is safe for middle-aged men, reducing stress and improving well-being. However, prolonged fasting may pose health risks due to adverse metabolic changes.

Keywords:
kidney functionmenstresswater-only fasting

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Area of Science:

  • Metabolic Health
  • Renal Physiology
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Water-only fasting (WF) is a practice adopted for health improvement and maintenance.
  • Investigating the safety and physiological impact of extended WF is crucial for understanding its health implications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the health and life-threatening risks associated with an 8-day water-only fasting regimen.
  • To assess the physiological and metabolic responses to short-term WF in adult males.

Main Methods:

  • Twelve middle-aged men underwent an 8-day water-only fast, consuming only mineral water.
  • Comprehensive physiological assessments included perceived stress, body composition, and extensive blood and urine analyses (creatinine, electrolytes, glucose, ketones, etc.).
  • Calculations of renal function parameters such as clearance, filtration, and fractional excretion were performed.

Main Results:

  • Significant reductions in perceived stress, body weight, and improvements in body composition were observed.
  • Metabolic shifts included increased ketogenesis, hyperuricemia, decreased serum glucose, and hyponatremia.
  • Renal adaptations involved electrolyte and protein sparing, decreased serum calcium and magnesium, and more acidic urine with elevated specific gravity.

Conclusions:

  • An 8-day water-only fast was found to be safe for the participants, who reported a sense of well-being.
  • Despite observed adverse metabolic effects and partial renal compensation, further continuation of fasting beyond 8 days is likely detrimental.
  • The study highlights the importance of monitoring metabolic and renal parameters during fasting interventions.