| Reader, I've seen the incredible healing power of intermittent fasting firsthand.
It's a game-changer when it comes to weight loss, reversing type 2 diabetes, and fighting many other chronic conditions.
More than 80 years of research proves that intermittent fasting triggers countless health benefits.
And recent studies prove that it even slows down the aging process.1
Fasting works because your body is hardwired to benefit from it. You see, our primal ancestors feasted when hunting was good, but they also had to survive periods of famine.
Today, these cycles of feast and famine are ingrained in your genetic code.
But now…
A fascinating new study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has revealed that you can trick your body into a fasting state…
But without the need to count hours or abstain from food.2
All you have to do is eat fermented foods.
The Chapel Hill researchers found that simply drinking a bottle of kombucha every day can alter your body's fat metabolism and mimic other benefits of fasting – all without starving yourself.
That's because fasting and fermented foods work on your body in similar ways…by influencing your gut microbiome, the colonies of microflora that live in your gut and support the health of your digestive system, heart, immune system, mental well-being, and more.
But let's start with weight loss.  Kombucha, and other fermented foods, mimic the health benefits of fasting – without making you hungry. | Studies reveal that fasting boosts the diversity of the microflora in your gut.
This allows your body to burn fat for energy – instead of carbohydrates.
You see, your body will always burn fat for energy when glucose isn't available.3
The researchers found that kombucha – a popular fermented black tea drink – influences microbial diversity in the same way, with the same reducing effect on fat accumulation.
It also lowers triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood that's associated with heart disease and stroke.
But these are just a few of the health benefits shared by fasting and fermented foods.
Studies show they both trigger powerful anti-aging mechanisms, such as: - Repairing damaged cells
- Reawakening old cells from their dormant state
- And allowing new cells to begin regenerating
This is critical to slowing down your body's biological clock because the accumulation of these so-called "zombie" cells is a major driver of aging.4
You see, both fasting and fermented foods boost the ability of your gut microbiome to produce short-chain fatty acids.
These have the power to alter gene expression and have a profound effect on your health – from fortifying the blood-brain barrier and protecting against mental illness to defending against cancers, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, obesity, and metabolic disorders, like diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.5,6
Studies also show that, like intermittent fasting, fermented foods boost the diversity of microflora in your gut, bolster your immune system, decrease inflammatory proteins, and trigger cell repair and regeneration.7,8
Other common fermented foods – such as sauerkraut, kefir, and kimchi – also have a "fasting effect" on your body.
You can easily find kombucha and a range of fermented foods in most supermarkets and health food stores. Get The Fasting Effects With Supplements But there are also supplement options to get the "fasting effect."
Here are my top three recommendations… - Garcinia cambogia: This small citrus fruit is native to Asia. It's been used for hundreds of years as a natural appetite suppressant, thanks to its active ingredient hydroxycitric acid. It also has a direct effect on the health of your microbiome. Studies reveal that it modulates the gut bacteria that exacerbate obesity and metabolic dysfunction.
I recommend taking 400 mg of Garcinia cambogia before each meal.9
- Nicotinamide riboside (NR): This is a unique and powerful form of vitamin B3, or niacin. Studies show it also mimics the effects of intermittent fasting/drinking kombucha by boosting the gut microflora that helps keep your arteries flexible and blood pressure low. At the same time, it produces more nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NAD+ for short, which also supports weight loss as well as a host of anti-aging benefits.
I suggest supplementing with 500 mg of NR daily, preferably before breakfast.10
- Green tea extract: This is another "fasting mimicker" and another proven fat burner. The concentrated form of green tea is rich in caffeine and the polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), both of which can help you burn fat. Studies show its health benefits come from its effect on your gut microflora, boosting the microbial colonies that combat inflammation, obesity, and cancer.
You can buy green tea extract in powder or capsule form. I recommend 750 mg EGCG equivalent per day. Look for a supplement that is standardized to 98% polyphenols. That is the equivalent of three cups of tea.
To Your Good Health, 
Al Sears, MD, CNS
References: - Brandhorst S, et al. "Fasting-mimicking diet causes hepatic and blood markers changes indicating reduced biological age and disease risk." Nat Commun. 2024 Feb 20;15(1):1309.
- Rachel N, et al. "Kombucha Tea-associated microbes remodel host metabolic pathways to suppress lipid accumulation." PLoS Genetics. 2024 Mar 28;20(3):e1011003.
- Pérez-Gerdel T, et al. "Impact of intermittent fasting on the gut microbiota: a systematic review." Adv Biol (Weinh). 2023 Aug;7(8):e2200337.
- Cheng C, et al. "Prolonged fasting reduces IGF-1/PKA to Promote hematopoietic-stem-cell-based regeneration and reverse immunosuppression." Cell Stem Cell. 2014 Jun 5;14(6):810-23.
- Hur KY, Lee MS. "Gut microbiota and metabolic disorders." Diabetes Metab J. 2015 Jun;39(3):198-203.
- Tan Y, et al. "Save your gut save your age: The role of the microbiome in stem cell ageing." J Cell Mol Med. 2019 Aug;23(8):4866-4875.
- Wastyk HC, et al. "Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status." Cell. 2021;184:4137–4153.
- Farhadipour M, et al. "SCFAs switch stem cell fate through HDAC inhibition to improve barrier integrity in 3D intestinal organoids from patients with obesity." iScience. 2023;26(12).
- Heo J, et al. "Gut microbiota modulated by probiotics and garcinia cambogia extract correlate with weight gain and adipocyte sizes in high fat-fed mice." Sci Rep. 2016 Sep 23;6:33566.
- Traba J, et al. "Fasting and refeeding differentially regulate NLRP3 inflammasome activation in human subjects." J Clin Invest. 2015 Nov 3;125(12):4592-600.
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