Signs of Autophagy: How to Know If You’re in Autophagy

Throughout history, numerous people have searched for the elixir of youth. Now, science is pointing to autophagy as the answer. Autophagy is a natural process that plays a crucial role in maintaining cellular health and longevity.

In this article, we will explore the signs of autophagy, how it works, how you can recognize when this cellular self-cleansing process is taking place, how fasting has a magic touch on a youthful look, and how long to fast for autophagy.

What is autophagy?

Autophagy is a highly regulated process by which cells break down and recycle damaged or dysfunctional components, such as proteins, organelles, and even invading pathogens. It acts as a cellular “clean-up crew,” eliminating cellular waste and maintaining cellular homeostasis. The word “autophagy” is derived from the Greek words “auto” (self) and “phagy” (eating). 

In recent years, autophagy has gained significant attention for its potential health benefits, especially in relation to fasting and various other lifestyle interventions. The metabolic shift during fasting triggers autophagy as the body seeks alternative energy sources.

To better explain the importance of autophagy, here’s additional info: Yoshinori Ohsumi, a Japanese cell biologist, won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2016 for his discoveries of “mechanisms for autophagy”.

What are the signs of autophagy?

As stated by Dr. Mindy Pelz, there’s no formal way of measuring autophagy, meaning that the signs of autophagy can usually not be seen directly, as it’s a cellular process happening inside your cells, and they change over time. The initial and following signs of autophagy are:

Initial signs of autophagy:

• Low energy and fatigue: As your body focuses on internal recycling, you might feel tired while it cleans the house.
• Reduced appetite: With cells efficiently utilizing recycled materials, hunger pangs might decrease.
• Brain fog: The energy shift towards cellular housekeeping might temporarily impact mental clarity and may cause brain fog.
• Bad breath: The breakdown of cellular components can release compounds with a distinct odor.
• Increased ketone levels: During prolonged fasting, your body switches to burning fat for energy, producing ketone bodies which some people report smelling on their breath or skin.
• Weight loss: When autophagy targets fat stores for fuel, it may contribute to gradual weight loss, especially when combined with calorie restriction.

Following signs of autophagy:

• Increased energy: Once the initial “cleaning phase” is complete, you might feel more energized due to cleaner and more efficient cellular processes.
• Improved mental focus: Clearing cellular debris could contribute to sharper thinking and better cognitive performance.
• Deeper sleep: By removing cellular stress factors, autophagy could lead to more restful and restorative sleep.
• Enhanced skin health: Autophagy plays a role in maintaining skin health by removing damaged proteins and promoting the production of new, healthy cells. Autophagy is also an important factor in reducing loose skin.

Benefits of autophagy

Autophagy has been linked with many health benefits:

• Reduces loose skin: Autophagy is a perfect detox mechanism. When it is activated, your skin cells are repaired so you get fewer wrinkles. It prevents loose skin by triggering collagen production and making the skin more elastic and firmer. It also improves the quality of the skin by cleaning out toxins that your skin has been exposed to, such as excessive sunlight, stress, or a poor diet. 
• Enhances your longevity: Autophagy is essential for cellular rejuvenation and it turns your body clock back by reducing aging symptoms. Research suggests that promoting autophagy can contribute to extending lifespan and reducing the risk of age-related diseases.
• Protects you from serious diseases: Higher levels of autophagy have been linked to a reduced tendency to develop Alzheimer’s disease. It also reduces the risk of cancer, as it triggers the production of healthy new cells.
• Helps your body enter the ketosis stage: Ketosis, characterized by the production of ketones, often occurs during fasting or a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet. Ketones are produced when the body utilizes stored fat for energy, indicating the activation of autophagy
• Improves insulin sensitivity: Autophagy helps improve insulin sensitivity by removing damaged cellular components and promoting the proper functioning of insulin receptors, leading to better blood sugar regulation.
• Reduces inflammation: By eliminating damaged cellular components, autophagy helps reduce inflammation, often associated with chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s.
• Promotes cellular recycling: Autophagy clears out dysfunctional proteins and organelles, promoting cellular rejuvenation and longevity. This process helps eliminate cellular waste and toxins, reducing the risk of chronic diseases. It also allows cells to adapt to changing conditions, promoting resilience and survival in the face of stressors.
• Reduces oxidative stress: Autophagy aids in removing oxidatively damaged proteins and organelles, leading to decreased oxidative stress levels in the cells.

How does intermittent fasting boost autophagy?

Intermittent fasting is one of the best ways of boosting autophagy because autophagy reaches its climax during temporary nutrition depletion states, which is the main point of the intermittent fasting diet.

Although extreme levels of hunger may cause the death of healthy cells, an intermittent fasting diet offers a plan where you switch between eating and fasting periods, which is a great way to clean out the damaged cells while retaining the healthy ones.

You can get Fasting Kompanion to learn more about fasting and how to do it the best way you can, along with a personalized plan.

How long to fast for autophagy

In general, it is believed that autophagy starts to kick in after approximately 12-16 hours of fasting. This duration allows the body to utilize its glycogen stores (stored glucose) and transition into a state of ketosis, where the body starts to burn stored fat for energy. As the body shifts to using fat as its primary fuel source, autophagy is triggered to mobilize and recycle damaged cellular components.

However, it’s important to understand that autophagy is a gradual process that intensifies with prolonged fasting. Research suggests that significant autophagy activation occurs after 24-48 hours of continuous fasting. During this extended fasting period, the body exhausts its glycogen stores and enters a deeper state of ketosis. As a result, the cellular cleanup process ramps up, promoting the breakdown and recycling of cellular waste.

Having said that, following intermittent fasting schedules with fasting windows longer than 16 hours may make your body go through the autophagy process. However, the duration of fasting required to stimulate autophagy may vary from person to person. It’s important to listen to your body and adjust fasting durations based on your individual needs and health considerations.

How does autophagy work?

Autophagy involves several stages, including initiation, nucleation, elongation, maturation, and degradation. A group of genes primarily regulates the process called autophagy-related genes (ATGs). When the cellular environment undergoes certain stressors, such as nutrient deprivation or cellular damage, autophagy is triggered to maintain cellular integrity.

Is autophagy healthy?

As you get older, proteins and organelles in your body become damaged, and they accumulate in your cells. This is the reason why you develop health problems due to aging. Autophagy removes these damaged parts of the cells so that you can generate new and functioning particles. It is a healthy and natural process that slows down aging symptoms.

Does autophagy kill cancer cells?

Autophagy can have a complex relationship with cancer cells. While autophagy has the potential to promote the survival and growth of cancer cells under certain conditions, it can also play a role in suppressing tumor development and aiding in cancer cell death.

The impact of autophagy on cancer cells depends on various factors, including the type of cancer, stage of cancer progression, and specific genetic alterations within the cancer cells. Further research is needed to fully understand the intricate relationship between autophagy and cancer cells and to explore potential therapeutic strategies targeting autophagy for cancer treatment.

Can you feel autophagy?

Autophagy itself, being a microscopic cellular process, is not something you can directly feel. However, you might experience indirect effects that point to its activation, especially following practices like fasting or dietary changes designed to trigger it. These experiences can vary but here’s a breakdown of what you might encounter:

Where does autophagy occur in the cell?

Autophagy occurs within specialized compartments called autophagosomes, which engulf damaged or unwanted cellular components. These autophagosomes then fuse with lysosomes, forming autolysosomes, where the breakdown and recycling of the engulfed materials take place. Lysosomes contain various enzymes that degrade the contents of autophagosomes, allowing the cell to recycle the building blocks and generate new molecules for energy and cellular maintenance.

Does lemon water break autophagy?

Before ending the article, let’s answer a frequently asked question, whether drinking lemon water during fasting hours will break autophagy or not.

Lemon water, which is a combination of water and lemon juice, contains minimal calories and nutrients. As long as the caloric intake from lemon water remains low, it is unlikely to significantly impact the autophagy process. But do not exceed ¼ of a lemon during your fasting window.

If lemon water is consumed with added sugars or other high-calorie ingredients, it may provide an energy source that could potentially interfere with autophagy. To support autophagy during fasting or periods of caloric restriction, it is advisable to consume plain water or unsweetened beverages without significant caloric content.

To sum up

Not a miracle or magic, autophagy is truly a scientific process that brings youth to a cellular level. Intermittent fasting is the tool that will lead you to this fountain of youth. It promotes longevity and reduces the risk of various diseases. While it may be challenging to directly observe autophagy, understanding the signs and recognizing its activation can provide valuable insights into our cellular well-being.

By adopting lifestyle practices such as fasting, maintaining a balanced diet, and incorporating regular exercise, we can support autophagy and harness its potential benefits for our overall health and well-being.