What is Autophagy?

Autophagy

2016 Japanese biologist Professor Yoshinori Ohsumi won a Nobel Prize for his discoveries and research on the mechanisms underlying autophagy. 

 Autophagy (Aw_toff_a_gee) is the body’s way of cleaning out damaged cells, in order to regenerate newer, healthier cells, “Auto” means self and “phagy” means eat. So, the literal meaning of autophagy is “self-eating.”

The basic idea behind autophagy is that in the absence of external sources of food, the body begins to eat itself (auto: self, phage: eat), destroying and recycling its own damaged cell bits and proteins, so that new and healthy versions can be built. Autophagy is believed to be essential for helping protect against diseases like cancer and dementia, among others. 

Think of your body as a big kitchen. After making a meal, you clean up the counter, throw away the leftovers, and recycle some of the food. After the clean you enjoy a clean kitchen. This is autophagy doing its thing in your body and doing it well.

Now let’s consider you were in a hurry or a bit sloppy in the kitchen.  After making your meal, you leave remnants and traces of food on the counter. Some of it gets into the garbage, some of it doesn’t. They linger on the bench, garbage, and recycling bin. They never make it out the door to the bin, and toxic waste starts to build up in your kitchen. There’s food residue on the floor and all kinds of nasty smells wafting out the door. You are under the pump; you have had time to go back and give the kitchen a good clean.  Due to the onslaught of pollutants and toxins, you’re having a hard time keeping up with the daily grime.  This can happen to your body too.  This is why detoxing can be beneficial for your health and body.  Cleaning up the residue, toxins and pollutants left behind.

Humans since cave man have evolved to live longer because of our ability to respond better to biological stressors. A recent Newcastle University study found that this ability is due to small adaptations in a protein known as p62 that induces autophagy.

Protein p62 will active and induce autophagy or start cleaning up the body, when metabolic by-products that cause cell damage called reactive oxygen species ROS occur.  Protein p62 removes all the damaged goods that have accumulated in your body, so that you’re better equipped to handle biological stress – and this is what keeps you young and healthy.

Autophagy intermittent fasting and fasting are super powerful ways for the body because we know that autophagy is activated in the body with as little as a 13 hour fast, but the rule of thumb most research points to is 16-18 hours.  Activating autophagy clears out damaged cells, debris in the cells, clearing out pre-cancerous cells.   When you do an intermittent fast for autophagy, you can be eat your meals within 8-12 hours and no food for the remaining day.  On a 16/ intermittent fast, you chose an 8 hour opportunity and limit your food intake to that time span, e.g. first meal at 11am and you finish eating by 7pm, or from midday 12nn to 8pm, or 9am to 5pm.  During the fast period there are no snacks, no milky drinks, no tea or coffee with milk or sugar, alcohol or chocolate etc.  You can have water, tea and coffee without milk or sugar, or herbal tea.  During your eating period fill up on nutrient-rich foods, lots of fruits and veggies.

The 16/8 intermittent fasting is easy to follow and can provide real results with fat burning, increasing metabolism and losing weight.  In addition to weight loss, the 16/8 improves blood sugar control, boost brain function and enhances longevity.

The body when fasted over several hours will go into autophagy and this is when it will remove debris and self-regulate back to optimal smooth function, it is recycling and cleaning at the same time, just like hitting a reset button to your body. Plus, it promotes survival and adaptation as a response to various stressors and toxins accumulated in your cells.  This will happen while we are sleeping and not eating a reason for not eating too late before you go to bed.  Otherwise, while you are sleeping you are not resting and repairing, instead your body should be digesting, and sleep time is not the time for the body to digest.

Many people practice intermittent fasting in an attempt to accelerate the body’s cleaning out and restoration functions. There are many other strategies that work for this purpose, and they are easier to maintain than fasting.

Autophagy is also activated through high intensity interval training.  Activation starts with high intensity and short duration exercises.

This is also a survival and adaptation mechanism when the body is under physiological stress.

The atopic zone, goes around the cell, picks up debris, damaged cell parts, and then it and then it goes and combines with lysosome (lys_o_som).  After combining with the lysosome, it creates new cell parts by recycling the damaged cell parts and create new components and energy.

Autophagy keeps the body functioning by breaking down cellular debris, pathogens, bacteria, using its internal resources in order to carry out normal processes in the body and produce energy.

As the external are not there anymore for energy and normal processes, the body starts using its internal resources and this is necessary for good health.

The health benefits of autophagy are a decrease in inflammation powerful way to heal the body and avoid diseases in the future. Inflammation is the root cause of chronic disease.

Autophagy boosts your immune system.  Research has shown a 4-day water fast will boost the immune system and actually act as a complete reset.  This is very powerful and with the high incident of autoimmune this may be helpful.

Antiaging as it supports the skin, reduce wrinkles and hair and helps keep the skin healthy.  If you have lost a lot of weight autophagy is very beneficial to tighten and reduce any loose saggy skin.

John Hopkins University research shows autophagy increases the Brain function and also act as a protective mechanism from neuro neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

It will decrease pathogens and bacteria and supports longevity as it helps to prevent chronic disease like cancer, heart disease, stroke, autoimmune and hypertension. 

Thomas Seyfried research tells us that as a 7-day water fast done each year, will cleanse our body and clear pre-cancerous cells.  He also says doing multiple 4-day water fasts is also sufficient.

For best results research shows that 18 hours plus will produce the best results from activated autophagy.  Autophagy is a great way to prevent diseases and keep us healthy on a daily basis.