What is fasting? The good and what to avoid

 What is fasting? The good and what to avoid

(WETM) — Local cardiologists say that fasting can lower your chances of getting a heart attack or stroke, and it doesn’t involve going on a diet.

“What we recommend and the science has shown that something called intermittent fasting or time restricted eating helps you improve your lipid profile, your cholesterol numbers,” said Dr. Najeeb Rehman, director of Non-Invasive Cardiology at Guthrie. “And also prevents you from becoming diabetic.”

Fasting can help reduce the risk of heart disease and lower blood pressure, as long as people eat moderately. Eating foods high in carbohydrates can cause serious problems with high blood pressure, leading to heart problems or stroke.

“High blood pressure causes damage of the endothelium or the inner layer of the blood vessels, which can lead to these cholesterol particles to seep inside the multiple layers of the blood vessels, causing plaque formation, the blockage formation starts there,” said Dr. Saurabh Sharma, director of Cardiovascular Prevention and Lipid Clinic at Guthrie

Other health benefits of intermittent fasting include reducing the risk of clogged arteries that can lead to stroke or heart attack.