Huberman Lab Podcast: Exploring Fasting and Time-Restricted Feeding

Host: Dr. Andrew Huberman

Intermittent Fasting: Also called Time-Restricted Feeding, involves eating during specific periods of a 24-hour cycle or even fasting for entire days occasionally.
Everyone Practices It: Since everyone eventually sleeps, they naturally employ some form of time-restricted feeding by not eating during sleep.

Study on Fasting Blood Glucose in Cell Metabolism
- Higher fasting blood glucose in humans is associated with higher mortality.
- As humans age, resting blood glucose tends to rise, contrary to the belief that metabolism declines drastically with age.
- In mice, however, lower resting blood glucose was associated with higher mortality, highlighting species differences in metabolic responses.
Gardner Study on Weight Loss (JAMA, 2018)
- No significant difference in weight loss between healthy low-fat and healthy low-carbohydrate diets.
- Weight loss is primarily a function of caloric deficit.
- Exercise, basal metabolic rate, hormones, and non-exercise activities affect total calories burned.
Satchin Panda's Landmark Study (2012)
- Time-restricted feeding without reducing caloric intake prevents metabolic diseases in mice on a high-fat diet.
- Mice eating a high-fat diet within a restricted 8-hour window maintained or lost weight and improved health markers.

Eating and Non-Eating States: When you eat, blood glucose and insulin levels rise. When you fast, these levels drop, triggering different biological processes.
Time-Restricted Feeding: Stabilizes circadian rhythms, improves liver health, reduces inflammatory markers, and promotes metabolic health.
Important Hormones: Insulin and glucagon regulate blood glucose; GLP1, epinephrine, and other hormones also play roles in fasting states.

No Food for the First Hour After Waking: Provides prolonged fasting benefits post-sleep.
No Food 2-3 Hours Before Bedtime: Enhances sleep-related fasting benefits like cellular repair and metabolic balance.
Ideal Feeding Window: Typically an 8-hour window within the active phase of the day, e.g., 12 PM - 8 PM.

Transition Period: If shifting feeding times, adjust gradually over a week to ten days.
Exercise and Meal Timing: Light exercise post-meal can accelerate the transition to a fasted state by clearing glucose from the blood.
Glucose Disposal Agents: Berberine and Metformin can mimic fasting effects but should be used cautiously.
Hydration and Salt: Essential for maintaining electrolyte balance, especially if consuming caffeine.

Schedule Regularity: Maintain consistent eating windows to avoid disrupting circadian rhythms and metabolic benefits.
Feeding Window Flexibility: Optimal 8-hour feeding window might vary slightly due to social and lifestyle factors.
Nutrient Timing: For muscle maintenance, earlier protein intake within the feeding window might be beneficial.

My Circadian Clock: Zero-cost online resource for logging and analyzing feeding times and related data.
Zero App: Tracks fasting and feeding times, provides guidelines and community support for intermittent fasting.

Electrolytes: Sodium intake can stabilize energy levels and reduce hunger pangs during fasting.
Artificial Sweeteners: Generally do not break a fast but their effect can vary individually.

The benefits of time-restricted feeding are numerous and well-supported by scientific research, but personal adaptation and consistency are key.
Additional support and detailed information available through Dr. Huberman's various channels and recommended resources.

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