Effects of Not Eating -How important is food..?

I know there are a lot of people on this forum that have researched this far more than I have. I also know that we have lots of medical professionals on this board as well. I have some questions that perhaps you folks can answer for me or at least point me towards the answers and share this valuable information with the rest of the group as well.

We all know about the various fasting rituals of a variety of cultures to some degree or another. Of course we all also probably know that there can be serious effects for some people (due to things like low blood sugar) even after a very short time without food.

The infamous 'rule of threes' tells us we can live 3 weeks without food but isn't the key word there "live"??? What serious health risks might we encounter before that magical 3rd weeks has concluded?

With all of this in mind I pose the following question:

With a relatively healthy person... no diabetes or hypoglycemia, etc... what are the physical and/or psychological effects of ingesting absolutely nothing other than water after 3, 7, 14, and 21 days?

The Rule of Three is so dependent on other conditions that it isn't really a rule, just a very vague guide.

Here's some info from UCLA:

http://www.snac.ucla.edu/pages/Resources/Handouts/HORestrictiveDieting.pdf

Sue

I too would be very interested in the physical effects, particularly in cold weather. Come to think of it, were/are there any arctic cultures that practiced fasting?

Vince

I can't think of any, but that doesn't mean that weren't any. Just unlilkely they still are. :P

My limited experience with fasting is in general relationship to religious or spiritual practices. In some cases the period of fasting is associated with reflection and introspection of one’s life. This reflection may be accompanied with “down” times in terms of activities, which may take the form of prayer, meditation and reading holy/spiritual text. Some religious/spiritual disciplines provide exemptions from fasting if the individual is ill, young, elderly, pregnant, nursing or engaged in physical labor. Fasting times are often associated with times of the year (spring and/or fall) when environmental conditions are not at their extreme.

Pete

After 4-5 days of fasting your energy levels drop off (and your concentration). Within 3 weeks you will recover fully, longer and your body will start to consume itself and shut down organs. i.e. female will first lose their 'cycle' then more and more organ functions.

I didn't feel hunger after the second day. After 3 days you kind of enjoy not having to defecate. About day 4-5 you start to have less energy.

That's been my experience (I've never gone beyond 3 weeks).

-Nim

I have been on a 6 day wilderness survival trip in Northern Ontario Canada during the month of July after about 3 days of no food, energy levels start to drop, it takes a lot of mental strength to do everyday tasks like gathering fire wood and foraging for edibles and maintaining your campsite. Making traps and primitive weapons keeps the mind occupied and temporarily makes you forget about hunger, Nothern Ontario is not an easy place to survive.

That jibes with my limited knowledge of fasting as well. I'm wondering if it still might be a valuable experience to fast in ideal conditions as a "dry run" for a survival situation. Or, by not recreating the survival conditions one is likely to encounter (in my case: cold weather and strenuous hiking at altitude), would it be a waste of time?

Regards, Vince

The Biology of Human Starvation (1950): Written by Dr. Ancel Keys (physiologist/public health scientist, 1904-2004); considered to be the definitive study on physiological and cognitive effects of starvation. Studied 36 conscientious objector volunteers; their diets were manipulated, including induced state of semi-starvation over several months, and subjected to the exertion of walking 22 miles a week. Among the effects noted were weakness, irritability, loss of interest in sex, and a general obsession with food. This obsession became so strong that it interfered with their intellectual performance. I see used copies of the 2-volume set can be had on Amazon.com for only $625.

A bit of trivia: He’s the guy who developed K-rations when, during WWII, U.S. government asked him to develop compact and nutritional ration packs for paratroopers. The letter “K” comes from his last name.

On this single web page at San Francisco State University, there’s brief, but interesting, info on hunger, thirst and sleep.

On thirst: “…an experiment to find out how dryness of the mouth relates to thirst. A surgical operation made it possible for water to be placed in a dog's stomach without passing through and wetting the dog's mouth. It was also possible for water to pass through the mouth but not into the stomach. The dog was deprived of water for a time and then offered a drink. The dog drank a normal amount of water, even though none of it passed into his stomach. After a short time, the dog drank again. The experimenters proved that dryness of the mouth has something to do with the thirst drive.”

Reminds me of the gray cardboard dividers in boxes of Shredded Wheat in early-50’s. Had wilderness/camping tips, from American Indian lore, printed on them. One suggested putting a smooth pebble under the tongue to relieve sensation of thirst (stimulated saliva output?). Always worried I’d swallow the pebble.

I still remember reading a story in school as a child, about a young brave who chases a wild mustang for days on foot across the prairie. Obviously, the mustang could always outrun the boy and often took off at a gallop whenever the boy came within eyesight, but the boy would just keep chugging along, mile after mile, until the mustang finally became completely exhuasted and the boy caught him. Anyway, I still remember the pebble trick from that story.

Personally, I think the mustang could've gotten away if it had used the pebble trick, too. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I have fasted, not for days at a time, but for time periods (sunup to sundown) extended over many days. I know that my body does not function well towards the end of the day. I tire easy and become lethargic, get headaches, my mind is not as sharp and my overall output is hampered significantly. However, I do notice my body over time (days) will adapt slightly to the change, such as getting fewer headaches.

I would think that one’s overall fitness, current weight and if still eating to some extent (eating limited meals), dietary input (fats vs. carbohydrates) will effect how well or poorly, one will respond to fasting. I see no problem in trying short term fasting either for a given time period each day or totally for several days to get a feel for how one’s body and mind might react to short, medium and long term fasting during the course of routine activity.

Pete.

many have fasted for a month or more. a lot depends upon how active you are, and how fat (and fit) you were before you started the fast. 22 miles a week of walking is nothing. Just an hour's mild walk per day, unless the terrain is really terrible, which is unlikely for a test.

Two years ago on April 15th I took a solo hike up Snake Den Ridge Trail in the Smokies. I was carrying a 50 pound pack, not in good enough shape. It began to snow as I started about 8a.m. Because of my age, lack of fitness, and pack I proceeded extremely slowly. Because of the snow and 28 degree weather I did not want to stop as there was no place to sit on the narrow rocky trail. I had a good breakfast before starting but did not eat during the day. My feet were wet from crossing streams.
Long story, short, I came down with hypothermia (?) about 4pm. I knew enough to realize I was in trouble. I stopped, pitched my tent, heated water, ate, drank, and survived.
Moral? Lack of energy provided by food contributes to Hypothermia very quickly.

But in the immediate term (next 30 minutes), the hot food did more than the food ever could, to keep you running.

Remember, calories are a measure of heat. Cooked and hot food is free calories. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />