A gentle detox bath is a great way to relax and eliminate some of the toxins in the body. But if you want to detox seriously, autophagy is the way to go. This natural cleansing process is an amazing way to improve health and support cellular homeostasis.
What is autophagy?
Autophagy is a bodily process that translates into "feeding oneself". The word is derived from the Greek words auto (self) and phagy (to eat).
This detoxification process involves using old body parts as building blocks to create new cells. Because it first recycles unwanted cells, autophagy is a process that helps improve overall health.
In 2016, Japanese scientist Yoshinori Ohsumi was awarded the Nobel Prize for his discoveries about the mechanisms of autophagy. This research has paved the way for a better understanding of diseases and the role of autophagy in their control.
Not surprisingly, the researchers found that disruption of autophagy can lead to diseases such as neurodegeneration, cancer diabetesliver diseases, the autoimmune diseases and infections.
How does autophagy work?
The autophagy detoxification process is triggered by stress factors on the body. But the researchers wanted to know how these stressors triggered this self-cleaning process.
In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers found that a protein (p62) is responsible for autophagy. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are a metabolic byproduct, trigger the protein to start cleaning up the old junky parts. It is a survival mechanism that helps optimize the longevity of the body's cells. Autophagy is a process that helps reduce the damage caused by stress on the body.
In the study, researchers created fruit flies genetically engineered with the part of p62 responsible for autophagy. Fruit flies do not normally have the ability to clean themselves by autophagy. These genetically modified flies lived longer under stressful conditions than those without the p62 protein. The researchers concluded that autophagy may play a key role in reducing age-related diseases and other problems surrounding the aging process.
Benefits of autophagy
Autophagy is an incredibly intelligent process that the body relies on for cellular health. Because it recycles old or dysfunctional material, autophagy helps the body function during nutrient deficiency (starvation, fasting, ketosis, etc.). Essentially, the body can use old proteins as fuel during a period when no new proteins enter the body.
Autophagy also prevents the toxic accumulation of damaged cellular components in the body, particularly mitochondria. It also causes cell death.
Autophagy has many other benefits:
Promising against cancer
A 2012 study found that autophagy is an adaptive process that allows for the selection of materials to be recycled based on the type of stress the body is under. The study goes on to explain that this adaptability makes autophagy an important part of the fight against cancer. And that interference with autophagy can cause malignant diseases.
However, another study published in Clinical Cancer Research found that some cancers depend on autophagy. Research shows that suppression of autophagy is a better therapy for these cancers. This information reveals that this is a complex topic that requires more research.
Cardiovascular health
According to a study published in Circulation Research, age-related heart disease is generally characterized by "hypertrophy, fibrosis, and accumulation of misfolded proteins and dysfunctional mitochondria." Autophagy is an integral part of the removal of these dysfunctional materials. But it often decreases with age. It makes sense, then, that increasing autophagy may help improve age-related heart problems. The study explains that this is true. In mouse studies, removal of dysfunctional materials improves the cellular environment and thus cardiac health.
Alzheimer
Autophagy is a critical process for protein homeostasis and cellular health. Researchers and experts are beginning to agree that autophagy deficiency in the body likely contributes to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Improving autophagy in the body could then reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or play a key role in its reversal.
Increase longevity
Autophagy is a survival process that allows humans to survive and even thrive under stressful conditions. For this reason, this process can help increase longevity. But researchers are not entirely clear on how autophagy affects longevity. They conclude that more research is needed to find out.
How to induce autophagy?
Autophagy is induced when the body is stressed just enough to cause a biomechanical response. There are three main ways to do this:
Fasting
Restricting food for a period of time is one way to induce autophagy.
According to Dr. Daniel Pompa, days 3 and 4 of a water fast are when autophagy begins to take effect.
If you are not ready for a 3-7 day fast, there are several ways to get some of the same benefits:
Intermittent Fasting - Intermittent fasting is where you eat less often (but not less food). The night when we sleep is already a time of fasting. Intermittent fasting stretches this downtime a little further. For example, you might have dinner at 8:00 p.m. and not eat again until lunch the next day.
There are many ways to fast, including juice fasting and broth fasting. But Dr. Pompa recommends water fasting for best results.
Ketosis
Although fasting has many benefits beyond activating autophagy, it is not always possible. But ketosis can give you just as many of the same benefits.
Ketosis is a state in which your body uses fat as fuel instead of glucose (as during fasting). But ketosis can be achieved without eliminating all foods. Instead, you eat a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb diet, such as a ketogenic diet.
This type of diet reduces carbohydrates, so the body is once again forced to use fat as fuel. Because fats burn cleaner than carbohydrates, autophagy will start working to recycle old materials. Entering ketosis can have a huge impact on cellular health.
Exercise
There are many benefits to exercise, so it's not surprising that it can also help activate the process. In fact, researchers in a 2012 study agree that autophagy is responsible for the metabolic benefits of exercise. Exercise induces autophagy in the body's organs, including muscle, liver, pancreas, and adipose tissue.
It is not clear what type of exercise is most beneficial and to what extent. However, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been shown to improve mitochondrial function. In addition, one study found that resistance training was helpful.
However, any exercise should be beneficial, so get moving!
Sauna
We have already talked about the health benefits of using sauna. And it seems that one of the reasons it is so beneficial is that it can stimulate autophagy. Research confirms that sauna can improve cellular health by activating autophagy. The reason is that the heat of a sauna causes a certain amount of stress on the body which then stimulates this detoxification process.
Autophagy for detoxification
The body is complicated, but amazing and intelligent. Autophagy is a brilliant way the body has adapted to cope with stressors and improve cellular health. What is even more exciting about using this natural process to improve health is that it is accessible to everyone. There is no need to buy expensive equipment or extras! Inductive autophagy is as simple as creating small stressors that ultimately contribute to improved health.
Sources:
Mah, LY and Ryan, KM (01/01/2012). Autophagy and cancer. Excerpt from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22166310
White, E., Mehnert, JM and Chan, CS (November 15, 2015). Autophagy, Metabolism and Cancer. Excerpt from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26567363
Aging and autophagy in the heart. (North Dakota). Excerpt from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4869999/