Autophagy is the natural process by which our body removes cellular waste to allow new cells to grow. It makes perfect sense that our body needs an internal cleanse to detoxify and repair itself. Autophagy destroys parts of the cell, proteins, and cell membranes that are not working properly.
How Autophagy Works
It is a biological process, where the key players are tiny cells called lysosomes, which contain enzymes necessary to digest and break down parts of the cell that no longer function properly.
That said, there is a dangerous side because lysosomes are very effective and a prolonged state of autophagy can lead to cell death, a process called autolysis. So a certain amount of autophagy is good, but too much can be detrimental to our health.
Why This Cellular Trash Removal Process Is So Necessary
Our body needs to regularly clean any junk that is in our cells, or else our cells become less efficient and deteriorate. When our cells do not function properly, our body becomes more sensitive to degeneration.
Autophagy makes our bodies more efficient, stops cancerous growth and metabolic dysfunction like diabetes and obesity.
How Autophagy Affects Our Cells
With it we keep our cells healthy. Our cells need cleaning of ineffective parts to avoid an imbalance between free radical damage and the antioxidants needed to prevent it. Without it, our body will experience inflammation caused by oxidative stress.
You also need to maintain muscle strength as you age. By removing cellular debris, the stem cells in your muscles continue to repair your tissues. This is the main reason detoxification is so important for older athletes.
How can you activate it?
Intermittent fasting: Autophagy is activated when we put our body under mild stress.
Exercise: With exercise we activate the detoxification of our body and cell renewal. When you exercise, your body experiences mild stress, which promotes growth and triggers the process.
Ketosis: A low-carbohydrate diet induces ketosis, a state in which our liver produces ketones that become our body’s main fuel. This process activates autophagy that sends the signal to our body to begin cleaning our cells.
Our health depends on our healthy cells, which is why our body uses autophagy to revitalize our cells. You can also take supplements to support your body on a cellular level and improve its function.
You may have heard of various natural detox treatments that people use to cleanse their body and lose weight, it works, but you need to take the right supplements that activate autophagy.
