Is fasting beneficial to the pancreas?
What are the functions of the pancreas?
Can the pancreas work after it stops?
The answers and more are in this report.
Is fasting beneficial to the pancreas?
The answer is in principle - and in general - yes, according to a study published in 2017 in the journal “Cell” and reported by the BBC, American researchers found that the pancreas can be stimulated to renew itself through a type of fasting.
The study said that the diet revitalizes the body.
Experts said the results were "potentially very exciting" because it could become a new treatment for diabetes.
However, people are advised not to try it without medical advice.
In experiments, mice were placed on a modified form of the "fasting-mimicking diet".
It turns out that the diet regenerates a special type of cell in the pancreas called "beta" cells.
Activation of insulin-secreting beta cells
These are the cells that detect blood sugar and release the hormone insulin if it rises too high.
Dr. Walter Longo, from the University of Southern California, said they concluded that by pushing mice into an acute state and then returning them to normal - by starving them and then feeding them again - cells in the pancreas are stimulated, in a kind of reprogramming that rebuilds the part of the organ that makes up the body. It no longer works.
"Medically speaking, these findings are potentially very important because we've shown, at least in mouse models, that you can use diet to reverse diabetes symptoms," Longo added.
"Scientifically, the results are probably even more important because we've shown that you can use the diet to reprogram cells without having to make any genetic changes."
However, Dr Longo said people should not rush into dieting.
"It just boils down to not trying it at home, it's a lot more complicated than people realize," he told the BBC.
He explained that an individual could "get into trouble" with their health if this was done without medical guidance.
What we can conclude about fasting and the pancreas:
Fasting is generally beneficial to the pancreas of a person who is not ill.
If you have diabetes, consult your doctor first before fasting.
It may or may not suit you.
Can the pancreas work after it stops?
We are talking here specifically about the pancreas regaining its ability to produce the hormone insulin from beta cells.
In general, according to the available data, if insulin-producing beta cells are destroyed, there is no way to regenerate them.
This is what happens in type 1 diabetes, where the immune system attacks and destroys beta cells.
Therefore, the disease is chronic, and the patient needs to receive the hormone insulin throughout his life.
However, there are studies on restimulating or reactivating beta cells.
But it is all in the process of research.
If you are offered a treatment or supplement that claims to restore your pancreas, ignore it because it is not true.
What is the pancreas?
The pancreas is located behind the stomach and in front of the spine.
The gallbladder, liver, and spleen surround the pancreas.
It is part of your digestive system.
The pancreas is an organ and a gland.
Glands are organs that produce and release substances in the body, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
What are the functions of the pancreas?
The pancreas performs two main functions:
First, the function of external secretions: it produces enzymes that help digestion. Second, the function of the endocrine glands: it secretes hormones that control the amount of sugar in the bloodstream.
The enzymes produced by the pancreas
Lipase: works with bile (a fluid produced by the liver) to break down fats.
Amylase: breaks down carbohydrates for energy.
Protease: breaks down proteins.
The hormones produced by the pancreas
Insulin: a hormone that helps the body use glucose for energy, and is produced by the beta cells of the pancreas.
Insulin enters the sugar in the blood (glucose) into the cells.
Glucagon: It is a hormone secreted by the alpha cells of the pancreas, and it works opposite to insulin and raises blood sugar.
How does the pancreas affect blood sugar?
Through the secretion of the hormones insulin and glucagon, the pancreas controls the level of sugar in the blood.
Can a person live without a pancreas?
Yes, you can live without a pancreas.
However you will need to take enzyme pills to digest food and insulin injections to control your blood sugar for the rest of your life.
Although pancreatectomy is rare, surgeons may remove the entire pancreas if a person has pancreatic cancer, a severe infection of the pancreas, or severe pancreatitis.
pancreas size
The pancreas is about 6 inches (about 15 centimeters) long.
Tips to maintain the pancreas
You can help reduce your risk of pancreatic disease by:
Maintain a healthy weight
Regular exercise and avoiding weight gain can help prevent type 2 diabetes and gallstones, which can cause pancreatitis.
Follow a low-fat diet
Eating large amounts of fat can lead to gallstones, which can lead to pancreatitis.
Being overweight is also a risk factor for pancreatic cancer.
stay away from alcohol
Drinking alcohol can increase the risk of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.
Quit Smoking
Tobacco use, along with smoking cigars and smokeless tobacco products, can increase the risk of pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis.
Pancreas and its diseases
Type 1 diabetes: Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce insulin.
Type 2 diabetes: Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body makes insulin but doesn't use it properly.
Hyperglycemia: High blood sugar occurs when your body produces too much glucagon.
This leads to high blood sugar levels.
Hypoglycemia: Hypoglycemia occurs when your body produces too much insulin and causes blood sugar levels to drop.
Pancreatitis: Pancreatitis occurs when enzymes start to work in the pancreas before they reach the duodenum.
It may be caused by gallstones or excessive alcohol consumption.
Pancreatitis can be temporary or long-term (chronic).
Pancreatic Cancer: Cancerous cells in the pancreas cause pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer can be difficult to detect and treat.
Diabetic fasting
Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar says that most patients with diabetes who are committed to treatment can tolerate fasting without complications, but it must be clarified how people with diabetes of all kinds use the medicines that they should take during Ramadan, as times differ from normal days in non-Ramadan.
And a diabetic should consult his doctor before fasting. There are cases of diabetics who can fast safely when following certain guidelines, and there are cases where they should not fast, for fear of serious health complications.
Type 1 diabetes mellitus fasting
For a person with type 1 diabetes, this depends on the patient taking insulin injections, and he needs to eat food immediately after taking the dose.
In this type of diabetes, fasting is not recommended, but if the patient insists on fasting, the blood sugar level must be regular, and he does not suffer from a decrease in the average diabetes level at least two months before Ramadan.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus fasting
As for people with type 2 diabetes, they must rely on taking oral diabetes tablets, and most of them benefit from fasting, but they must organize meals for breakfast and suhoor.
Cases of diabetes in which fasting is not allowed
There are cases in which fasting is not allowed at all, for a severe risk to the life of a diabetic, which is that the level of blood sugar fluctuates and is irregular, as well as patients treated with an insulin pump, and also a diabetic who suffers from complications such as heart and kidney diseases.