Dry Fasting and Me

Dry fasting, also known as absolute fasting, is a type of fasting where you abstain from both food and all liquids, including water, tea, coffee, or any beverages. It's distinct from water fasting, where liquids are allowed but food is restricted. There are two main variations: soft dry fasting, which permits external contact with water (like showering or brushing teeth), and hard dry fasting, which avoids all water exposure. This practice has roots in religious observances, such as Ramadan (where it's often done from dawn to dusk) or Yom Kippur, but it's also adopted for health or personal reasons outside of spiritual contexts.

How to Do Dry Fasting

Dry fasting can be approached in different ways, but it's generally more intense than other fasting methods, so starting gradually is common advice.

1. Preparation: Before beginning, focus on nutrient-dense meals with healthy fats, proteins, and complex carbs (e.g., eggs, fatty fish, avocados, vegetables) to stabilize energy levels. Avoid processed or sugary foods that could spike hunger later. Ensure you're well-hydrated and in good health beforehand.

2. Types and Schedules: It can be intermittent (short daily periods, like 12-16 hours) or prolonged (up to 24 hours or more, though longer durations increase risks). Common integrations include the 16:8 method (16 hours fasting, 8 hours eating window) or dawn-to-dusk fasting, similar to Ramadan practices. Soft dry fasting is often recommended over hard for beginners to allow basic hygiene.

3. During the Fast: Abstain completely from food and liquids. Monitor your body's signals—stop if you feel unwell. Short durations (e.g., 10-12 hours) are suggested for starters, gradually building up if tolerated.

4. Breaking the Fast: End slowly with easy-to-digest, nutrient-rich foods like bone broth, fermented items, or small portions of protein and fats. Rehydrate gradually with water and electrolytes to avoid issues. Avoid large meals or simple carbs right away.

Consult a healthcare provider before starting, especially if you have any medical conditions, as individual tolerance varies.

Health Benefits

Dry fasting has been linked to several potential benefits, though much of the evidence comes from studies on short-term practices like dawn-to-dusk fasting during religious periods, rather than extended secular dry fasting. Research is limited and often observational.

1. Weight Loss and Metabolic Improvements: It can lead to reductions in body weight, BMI, waist circumference, and body fat, primarily through water weight loss initially, but potentially true fat loss over time. Studies show improvements in insulin resistance, blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose metabolism, which may lower risks for diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

2. Reduced Inflammation: Observational studies, including one with 13 participants with elevated BMI fasting for 30 days dawn-to-dusk, found significant decreases in inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha), suggesting it may alleviate low-grade chronic inflammation tied to obesity.

3. Enhanced Autophagy and Cellular Repair: It may promote autophagy (cellular recycling), aiding DNA repair, immune regulation, and detoxification. Some research links it to better tumor suppression and anti-aging effects.

4. Cardiovascular and Other Benefits: Potential reductions in heart disease risk factors like apolipoprotein B, along with improved skin health (e.g., reduced acne, faster wound healing) and circadian rhythm regulation

Benefits appear more pronounced in short, structured fasts (e.g., 12-14 hours) and for those with conditions like obesity, but long-term effects need more research. Safer alternatives like intermittent or water fasting may offer similar advantages without full liquid restriction.

Risks and Precautions

While some benefits are reported, dry fasting carries significant risks, mainly from dehydration, and is not recommended by many health experts for extended periods.

1. Dehydration and Related Issues: The primary danger is dehydration, which can cause dry mouth, thirst, headaches, fatigue, dizziness, low blood pressure, electrolyte imbalances, seizures, kidney damage, heatstroke, or even coma and death in severe cases. I suppose if I sleep for 8 hours that would be considered a short dry fast. Like most of us, I wake up with a very dry mouth. In anticipation of doing a 24-hour dry fast, I bought 50 oral swabs on Amazon: https://a.co/d/1mvRgLc 

2. Other Side Effects: Hunger, irritability, mood swings, nutritional deficiencies, urinary problems, potential eating disorders, and cardiovascular complications. Prolonged fasting may exacerbate these.

Who Should Avoid It: 

Not suitable for pregnant or nursing individuals, children, the elderly, those with eating disorders, underweight people, or conditions like diabetes, kidney issues, or neurodegenerative disorders. Studies on short dawn-to-dusk dry fasting report no adverse events when hydration is maintained outside fasting windows, but overall, evidence emphasizes caution. If trying it, limit it to short periods, monitor health, and seek medical advice.

I currently fast for 24 hours from Saturday at 4:00 p.m. until Sunday at 4:00 p.m. when I treat myself to a meal at a restaurant. I'm going to give the dry fast a shot next weekend.