Intermittent Fasting Is Carried Out By Teenagers, Beneficial Or Hazardous?

Illustration of intermittent fasting (Freepic)

JAKARTA - Intermittent fasting can apparently be done from a teenager's age. According to scientists, several studies show intermittent fasting has a positive impact, especially in terms of growth and development.

Quoting from Medical Daily, intermittent fasting is also known as a method of eating with a time limit involving fasting periods that are interspersed with certain meal times.

Some studies suggest this method can help lose weight, improve heart health, and reduce diabetes risk. However, its side effects on long-term health, especially for individuals who are still in a growing period, are not yet fully understood.

In a recent study that uses mice as subjects of research, it was found that undergoing intermittent fasting in the long term (about 10 weeks) can affect insulin production in young mice. This effect resembles the early stages of type 1 diabetes in humans.

On the other hand, in older mice, intermittent fasting during the same period actually increases insulin sensitivity. This allows their bodies to respond to insulin better, which plays a role in regulating blood sugar levels and lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes.

"Usually, intermittent fasting is considered to have benefits for beta cells. Therefore, we were quite surprised to find that young mice undergoing long-term fasting produce less insulin," said Leonardo Matta, one of the main researchers in this study.

Further analysis of the pancreas of young mice shows that beta cells, which function to produce insulin, do not develop perfectly due to long-term intermittent fasting. On the other hand, older mice whose beta cells are ripe before breaking the fast do not experience similar effects.

This indicates that the level of maturity of cells before fasting can affect the body's response to this diet method.

Meanwhile, research also revealed that intermittent fasting carried out in a shorter period of about 5 weeks provides benefits to all age groups.

Therefore, the researchers suggested that the duration of fasting in younger individuals be considered in order to avoid the potential risk of diabetes.

"Our study confirms that intermittent fasting is beneficial for adults, but can pose a risk to children and adolescents. The next step is to further investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon.

"If we can understand how to improve the development of beta cells better, this could open up new opportunities in diabetes treatment by restoring insulin production," explained Stephan Herzig, professor at Munich Engineering University.