Water Fasting: Weighing the Benefits and the Risks

Water fasting involves only consuming water. Some other names for it are extended fasting and prolonged fasting.Water fasts typically last 24–72 hours.This approach can be traced back thousands of years, and it has recently become fashionable. People often try it because they want to improve their health and lose weight.But is there any convincing scientific evidence that water fasts work? Not really.Is it safe? Based on very limited research, water fasting appears to be safe, but only in carefully controlled settings. There are other considerations, too — we’ll explore them in more depth below.If you’re thinking about water fasting, ask a healthcare professional for guidance first.The research so farTo date, very few studies have explored the health effects of water fasting.One small study from 2021 included 12 middle-aged men, and it tested whether water fasting was safe. After the participants had fasted for 8 days, the scientists found significant changes in their blood and urine m...