Welcome to Paging Dr. Gupta. This is the show where I get to answer the health questions that you've been asking, and you've been sending in a lot of questions.

And Kira, one of our amazing producers is here to help us out again. What's the first question?

All right. Hey, Sanjay. So today's first page is coming from a listener whose name is Stephanie, and she

wants to know your thoughts on intermittent fasting.

So what's your take?

All right, Kira, thanks for bringing that one in.

You know, intermittent fasting is something that I've thought a lot about really my whole life,

because my parents practiced this when I was a kid, and I've now been practicing intermittent

fasting regularly as an

adult for some close to 20 years. It's not just a health trend for me. It's become a part of my

lifestyle. So let me start this way, Stephanie, with a little bit of the science behind intermittent

fasting. As the name suggests, and as you might guess, the idea is to simply cycle between periods of eating and periods of fasting.

That part makes sense.

Typically, you may fast for 16 to 18 hours a day, for example, and then eat in a smaller window, six to eight hours a day.

Some people refer to this as restricted eating as well.

That's a good name for it.

Because essentially, you have times of your day or your week when you're not eating at all.

That's the key. Now, why is there so much excitement around this? I think it's because there's data around some of the compelling health benefits. Improvements in blood sugar,

for example. Improvenants in weight management. That one makes sense. Also, even reducing the risk

of type 2 diabetes. Now, why this occurs is a little bit unclear, but it may be linked to a

process known as metabolic switching. This is when your body essentially transitions from

burning sugar or glucose for energy to instead burning fat. That shift can happen when you are fasting,

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