10
votes
Why is it necessary to fast before a procedure involving anesthesia?
The purpose of fasting before a procedure involving anesthesia is to avoid aspiration of stomach contents, not anything related to drug efficacy. Your anesthesiologist/physician/dentist/nurse wants ...
- 13.3k
6
votes
Accepted
Pre diabetic after fasting blood work?
Retest
I generally retest and don't base decisions on a single reading. Although the impact of the mint would seem minimal, the abnormal result itself deserves repeating.
Unfortunately, insulin ...
- 76
6
votes
Accepted
Hydrating before a fast day
OK, so this seems to be a 24 hour fast.
Salt (sodium) and glycerol, after drinking water, prolong the time in which the water is excreted from the body, but they both work only for few hours.
The ...
- 15.8k
5
votes
Is there evidence that humans should fast intermittently daily for 16 hours because it is healthy in general?
Quality of Evidence
First off, I'd be careful with the sources you are citing-- one of them is an opinion letter in a journal, and two are studies in rats.
When looking at studies, the best evidence ...
- 1,271
5
votes
Should I continue fasting if I have diarrhea?
Fasting, at least in Islam, means no water intake during the fast. The Islamic purpose of not allowing even water is to remind one that one should not take for granted the gifts of life. So, the ...
- 13.2k
5
votes
Accepted
Does fasting improve your immune system even when you are already having some infection?
This sounds like dream come true for 'alternative medicine':
Water-Only Fasting Can Help The Body To Fight Off Disease – And Can Have The Most Profound Health Benefits Too:
A recent news item ...
- 6,867
4
votes
Does eating a sugary multivitamin bring you into the fed state for intermittent fasting?
It is generally considered that less than 50kcal is acceptable during periods of fasting. This obviously doesn't mean 10 50kcal in quick succession is acceptable (that is considered a 500kcal meal). I ...
- 176
3
votes
Does intermittent fasting (without calorie reduction/increase) cause an increase in cortisol levels?
In short, compared with complete fasting, intermittent fasting results only in a minimal increase in plasma cortisol levels.
Cortisol increase in INTERMITTENT FASTING:
Effects of eight weeks of time-...
- 15.8k
3
votes
Are water only fasts healthy? Can they cause headaches or other medical problems?
You have to be sensible, losing weight is simple thermodynamics. If you consume less calories than you need, you will lose weight. Examine.com says it best:
What should I eat for weight loss?
Eat ...
- 1,094
2
votes
Does fasting inhibit healing?
Fasting has some medical applications. Among them is pre-operative fasting which involves wounds.
But wound healing is basically a status of greatly increased nutritional demands. So, yes, fasting ...
- 6,867
2
votes
Are water only fasts healthy? Can they cause headaches or other medical problems?
Here's one long review article with lots of references that mentions eventual health benefits of fasting:
Longo VD et al, 2014 Fasting: Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Applications
(PubMed Central) ...
- 15.8k
2
votes
Intermittent Fasting: Why is exactly *zero* calories special?
In summary, intermittent fasting could help decrease appetite and thus make weight loss easier for some people, but there is no convincing evidence that it would stimulate catabolism more than other ...
- 15.8k
2
votes
Does the digestive process in humans consume water?
When plants photosynthesize, the net reactions are to turn water and carbon dioxide into sugars and oxygen, using energy from the sun.
When animals and other aerobic organisms obtain usable energy ...
- 13.3k
1
vote
Accepted
Can an adequate calorie intake help prevent hypothermia and frostbite?
Summary
A single meal can decrease the risk of hypothermia during a few km travel in severe cold. Consequently, it could also decrease the risk of frostbite, but lack of studies prevents making any ...
- 15.8k
1
vote
Does intermittent fasting increase or decrease the odds of getting gallstones, assuming a healthy diet?
According to the following study in 9 women, theoretically, 16/8 hour intermittent fasting could increase the risk of gallstones (the risk increases with increased cholesterol content of bile): ...
- 15.8k
1
vote
Are there any studies that demonstrate an anticipatory effect similar to classical conditioning when increasing glucose levels prior to exercise?
I have not found any studies carried out regarding a classical conditioning to increase blood glucose before exercise.
However, if you do not have enough insulin available, due to diabetes for ...
- 6,154
1
vote
How to mitigate thirst
If thirst mitigation is your goal, then you should focus on what food and drink you SHOULDN'T take beforehand. This includes anything salty (chips, soups), diuretics (coffee, alcohol), and sugary ...
- 41
1
vote
Elevated glucose right after waking up
What you may be experiencing is what is commonly referred to as the "dawn phenomenon". This is where blood sugar becomes elevated between 2-8am. This happens when your blood glucose goes low in the ...
- 11
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