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/sci/ - Science & Math


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3109774 No.3109774 [Reply] [Original]

Since this is a science board I suppose there are people around here who also have knowledge and interest in medicine and nutrition. So...
A friend of mine thinks that fasting is a great thing for "cleaning" the body and losing weight. What are the actual benefits? Is there a form of controversy among the medical community, or is there more or less a consensual opinion?

>> No.3109783

Fasting to cleanse the body is an asinine suggestion. Try googleing starvation diets.

>> No.3109792

Enjoy gallbladder stones.

>> No.3109794

Fasting is not great. Just google if it's a good diet method or not.

Your body will go in to starvation mode and first eat all your muscles.

>> No.3109796

Drink more water!

>> No.3109797

It's nonsense. Not eating doesn't "clean" you in any way.

>> No.3109799

>>3109794
That's not true. God damn. For a science board, you people spout a lot of false wives' tales.

>> No.3109801

A healthy intestinal track doesn't need to be "cleansed," it does it on its own regardless of what you eat.

Losing weight is much more efficient by maximizing the bodies metabolism, not suppressing it.

Starvation and fasting diets are fads. All of the supporting science behind them is very biased, skewed, or poorly conducted.

You're wasting your time arguing with your friend. People that buy into fasting will never admit or even consider the idea that their diet is harmful.

>> No.3109804

>>3109783
>>3109794
You should know that google is as unbiased when it comes to health and medicine as Steve Jobs when it comes to Microsoft.

>> No.3109807

Well, since someone already made this thread... what are the benefits of cold showers?

>> No.3109818
File: 1.14 MB, 992x967, 1305855434704.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3109818

Bad idea.

Fuck, it's so fucking easy to be healthy, why can't fat people understand?

Eat veggies, eat fruit, avoid bad fat, eat your proteins, avoid sweets, drink water, good reasonable portions. Combine that with exercise and bingo, that's about it.

If you eat too many calories, you gain (fat and muscle). If you eat too little calories, you lose (fat and muscle). If you exercise, you make the muscles harder to lose and easier to gain.

It's so fucking simple, there is no magic or special diet at all. Just read /fit/'s sticky, it's the best sticky of all I must say. And go ask them too.

>> No.3109838

>>3109807
Cold showers are good so that your scalp is not burnt and so it won't snow on your shoulders if you know what I mean.

It also wakes you up.

Other than that, it may lower your defense and eventually it may get you sick.

Normal water is best water.

>> No.3109844

>>3109804
Too bad Google isn't a source in and of itself, so your point doesn't even make any fucking sense.

>> No.3109850

>>3109818

>science board
>pushing "organic" food

Here we go.

>> No.3109854

>>3109844
If you try to find information on any medicine related topic, the first result is wikipedia, and the follow ten pages are of sites promising "natural" and "homeopathic cures to rid your body of unclean toxics and poisons".

>> No.3109859

>>3109850
>organic food not being mentioned
lol wat. not the same guy btw.

>> No.3109863
File: 24 KB, 318x426, sr.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3109863

>>3109818
>Better - Organic poultry
>Fair - Poultry
Don't ever post that shit again.

>> No.3109866

>>3109859

look at the image he posted

>> No.3109867

>>3109838
I read that cold showers motivate your body to produce more anti-bodies, effectively preventing disease. Is that true?

>> No.3109871

>>3109854
That's a problem with your search terms, not Google's bias. Try "search term" + "skeptic", or something along those lines.

>> No.3109878 [DELETED] 

>>3109867
>>3109867
it could easily be true, everything in your body is based on cell signalling and gene regulation.

where did you hear that though? i would like to see the source.

>> No.3109877

>>3109867
No.

>> No.3109880

i had this same question a while back and what i did was try an experiment.
focus on how you feel today, fast for 24 hours starting tomorrow, the next day focus on how you feel after your first meal.

i felt really good for the next 3 days.
>i concluded that fasting has benefits because in my books feeling good is healthy.

>> No.3109891

>>3109878
Do you speak German?
http://lifestyle.t-online.de/erkaeltung-wohldosierte-kaelte-schuetzt-vor-infektionen/id_20135710/ind
ex
http://www.rabenseiten.de/jahr/herbst/grippe.htm

I read different sources, and around here it is pretty much deemed common knowledge.

>> No.3109893

>>3109863
>>3109866
>>3109850
No one is "pushing" organic food. The fact that organic food, in the system, is nothing but a scheme or shit like that it's not the case.

The point of the chart still stands that, the more "pure" the food is, the more "pure" your results in health will be, so that if you grow your own shit at home, it will be much healthier than the stuff that is packed with chemicals to be conserved.

Organic food is, in theory, great. Pratically? Maybe not so much different than the other food. But that is not the point being discussed here at all and you should not be making a big case out of it.

>> No.3109899

>>3109880
Yeah, let the almighty anecdote lead your way.

>> No.3109908

>>3109893
>The point of the chart still stands that, the more "pure" the food is, the more "pure" your results in health will be, so that if you grow your own shit at home, it will be much healthier than the stuff that is packed with chemicals to be conserved.
That's bullshit, though. There is no nutritional difference between organic and evil Nazi food.

>> No.3109910

Does being cold actually make you more prone to getting sick?

>> No.3109912

>>3109899
im just suggesting you try it for your self.

>> No.3109913

>>3109867
Guy from the chart here. It could be true as the other guy said. Sources are needed though.

>>3109880
>in my books feeling good is healthy.
Fail. Your body lies to you all the time. Eating lots of cake and smoking cigarettes feel awesome as well.

>> No.3109917 [DELETED] 

>>3109891
well common knowledge used to say that you should give alcohol to pregnant women to help them give birth.

i was talking about scientific sources.

A cold shower would undoubtedly stimulate adrenaline and circulation and improve mood, which could indirectly help the immune system, but I doubt it has much appreciable effect on the immune system, and it can't create antibodies since antibodies are specific for a given bacteria or virus.

>> No.3109921

>>3109913
I am the same guy who posted the German links. They cite the head of the German professional association of internists. I also found another page from a reputable German news paper stating that it helps the immune system.

>> No.3109925

>>3109908
Prove.

>> No.3109920

>>3109912
I'm not interested in personal anecdotes, neither yours, nor mine. Peer-reviewed studies, or GTFO. "Personal experience" is an unreliable waste of fucking time.

>> No.3109930

>>3109917
I only mentioned that it is common knowledge to show you how I would get the idea. And I do not know the actual processes, I only tell you how I understand it, which is why I come here to ask you: I want to know how it works and if it works.

>> No.3109935

>>3109921
Those links are complete shit, especially the "Rabenseiten" one. *Nothing* can "boost" your immune system.

>> No.3109945

>>3109935
So you understand German? Can you provide us with sources testing the effect of cold showers?

>> No.3109947

>>3109925
http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4019

Scroll down to "Organic Foods are Healthier to Eat". The guy has all his sources at the bottom, so I'm not actually suggesting to take this random site alone as evidence. It's just a good summary of the arguments.

>> No.3109955

>>3109913
it isnt unhealthy to have a piece of cake every in a while as long as you have a good diet.

cigarettes make my lungs hurt, my throat burn and make me cough. i think my body is telling me the truth, that cigarettes are bad for me

>> No.3109963

>>3109955
Funny thing is that smoking a cigarette once in a while doesn't hurt you either, just like the cake.

Also, you can't feel your veins clogging or cancer growing.

How you feel is important, but it's not all.

>> No.3109972

>>3109920
you would rather base your opinion on an article that people u assume are smarter than u say is legit, when the question could easily be answered by just trying it out your self?

>> No.3109981

>>3109945
No, my argument is that it's a fucking implausible thing to suggest in the first place, because antibodies are produced by your body in reaction to antigens. You'd screw up your entire immune system with every cold shower you'd take if that shower story were true.

>> No.3109982

>>3109972
>people u assume
And there you've given up your little troll masquerade. 7/10 for fooling at least one guy.

>> No.3109988

>>3109981
So you do not understand German, did not read the links and still claim that they are bullshit?

>> No.3109989

>>3109972
The things I rely on are called "data" and "peer-review", now fuck off to /x/.

>> No.3110006

>>3109963
your right but in this case i know that the consequences cant be that bad because we would all know about it. if there is some negative side effect i think the positives that come from feeling good outweigh the negatives

>> No.3110009

>>3109988
Huh? No, I read those links, and that's why I know the claims are bullshit, because the immune system doesn't work like those retarded sites claim it does. You can't just lower the temperature around you and magically provoke your body to produce random antibodies that have no targets. You wouldn't live a day if your immune system were this fragile and easy to manipulate.

>> No.3110029

>consensual opinion
sounds fabulous

Fasting can actually be bad for you if you want to lose weight, as it causes you to store all of the energy you take in afterwards.

>> No.3110033

A friend of mine whos a medical student suggested that 24 hour fasts are a good way of keeping the brain in a good way. A natural response to lack of food is to become smarter.

On the other hand regular fasting will make your body store more fat (for those times when there is a lack of food).

I dunno, seems to make sense to me, but i always noticed that when I dont eat for 5 hours or so I feel more mentally alert and less sluggish.

>> No.3110037

>>3109989
what ever happened to the passion for science? when you could go out and test something for yourself and come to your own conclusions

instead of sitting on you ass and asking other people

>> No.3110053

>>3110037
They'd be dubious and most likely false conclusions. I respect science, which is precisely why I don't give a fuck about my biased, uncontrolled personal experiences when it comes to health.

>> No.3110058

>>3110009
You could calm down, bro. I didn't attack you and I only came here to ask for some expert knowledge on a subject that interests me. But if you get so butthurt and unreasonable without even presenting any sources or studies, I will just ignore you until you come to your senses. I have nothing against you, but as soon as someone gets as offended as you, it won't go anywhere good from there.

>> No.3110094

>>3110058
>I didn't attack you
I didn't attack you either, actually. At all.

>But if you get so butthurt and unreasonable without even presenting any sources or studies
My source is my basic understanding of biology and immunology, which you could easily read up on yourself. Here's a good place to start:
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/science-and-medicine/boost-your-immune-system/

>I have nothing against you, but as soon as someone gets as offended as you,
I have absolutely no idea what the fuck you're referring to. I didn't attack you, I didn't insult you, I don't know what your problem is.

>> No.3110102

>>3110053
>They'd be dubious and most likely false conclusions. I respect science, which is >precisely why I don't give a fuck about my biased, uncontrolled personal experiences ?>when it comes to health.

so your saying that your incapable of coming to an unbiased or false conclusion? and that you respect science which is precisely why you dont practice it

>> No.3110124

>>3110102
Yes, personal experience doesn't get you very far. For example, you think fasting is a healthy thing to do, because it "feels good". It's exactly this mindset that's keeping homeopaths in business.

>> No.3110182

>>3110124
placebo effect is a very real factor and i think it would tip the scales in favor of fasting on occasion beeing healthy. seeing as i haven't seen any evidence to say say that fasting is unhealthy im under the impression that it is healthy.

please if u do find some peer reviewed stuff to rebut me post it

>> No.3110207

>>3110094
I only came here to ask questions, but you said that the notions of whose value I was unsure were bullshit and retarded. I don't think that is how scientists normally discuss and debate.
The link you provided showed a bit more humility:
"I have yet to see a quality clinical study that demonstrates that, in normal, not nutritionally or otherwise compromised people, that some intervention can lead to a meaningful increase in immune function and as a result have fewer infections. Maybe such a study exists. I can’t find it. Send me the reference."

Take that as an example. You probably aren't wrong, but you might be.

>> No.3110313

>>3110207
>but you said that the notions of whose value I was unsure were bullshit and retarded.
Well, sorry, but they are. I was still not attacking you in any way.

>Take that as an example.
I prefer the line that follows it:
>If you are normal and in good health, there is nothing you can do to make your baseline better.

>You probably aren't wrong, but you might be.
You're right. I'm probably not wrong.

>> No.3110335

>>3110313
>I prefer the line that follows it:
That is a different paragraph and only indirectly related to the line that preceeded it. And I was hinting at the general attitude that everyone would profit from, while you insist on the petty detail of being right about something.

>> No.3110363

>>3110335
Blah. It might be time for you to realize that you're the one who keeps pushing this into some bizarre, personal direction for no fucking reason whatsoever, whereas I've been doing nothing but posting my opinion *on the topic of the fucking thread*, without attacking you in any way whatsoever. You're just plain wrong about whatever personal offense you took with my responses, and you have no reason to expect anyone to act in accordance with your idea of 4chan manners.

In closing, go fuck yourself, you hypersensitive asshole.