Why Fasting Matters at Any Age
When we think about improving health in our later years, it’s easy to assume that big changes are required—new diets, complicated routines, or intense exercise programs. But research increasingly shows that sometimes the most powerful shifts are the simplest ones. By simply creating breaks between meals, you allow your body to reset its systems, burn stored energy, and repair itself at a deep cellular level.
This is not just theory. Clinical studies demonstrate these benefits clearly. A large randomised controlled trial published in Nutrition Journal (2024) found that participants practising intermittent fasting experienced significant improvements in cholesterol levels, triglycerides, and waist circumference—even without major changes in overall body weight. In other words, fasting directly supports heart and vascular health, which are central to ageing well.
But fasting goes beyond numbers on a blood test. At the cellular level, periods of not eating activate one of the body’s most important repair processes: autophagy. This natural mechanism acts like an internal recycling system, clearing out damaged proteins and allowing new, healthier ones to be built. A 2025 review in Current Nutrition Reports highlighted how fasting triggers this process by lowering insulin, activating AMPK, and reducing mTOR activity—all of which help your body better manage lipids, reduce inflammation, and improve overall resilience.
For men and women in their 70s and beyond, these findings carry a powerful message: you don’t need extreme measures to nurture your health. Small daily adjustments, like leaving a few extra hours between dinner and breakfast, can improve cholesterol, support brain health, and give your cells time to repair. It’s a strategy that works with your body, not against it, and one that has been validated by modern science as well as centuries of human practice.