What Is Prolonged Fasting and How Does It Differ from Intermittent Fasting
Prolonged fasting means fasting beyond 24 hours. Here's what happens in your body, how it differs from daily IF, and what the science shows.
Most people who fast are practising intermittent fasting — eating within a daily window of 8, 6, or 4 hours, then fasting for the remaining 16 to 20 hours. This is the form of fasting that has dominated popular culture for the past decade, supported by a growing body of clinical research. But there is another category of fasting that exists on a different scale entirely: prolonged fasting. Understanding the distinction matters because the two approaches produce different physiological effects,…
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