10 side effects of Intermittent Fasting

Dehydration

When you start out fasting, the body can release large amounts of water and salt in a process known as diuresis. This is caused by the body getting used to fasting, and if it happens to you, it is important that you make up for the lost fluids.

If you don’t replace the lost fluids and electrolytes, your body can become dehydrated. This can lead to fatigue, headaches, and a score of other unpleasant side effects.

To stay hydrated, drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially if you are just starting out with intermittent fasting. You can check if you are dehydrated by watching the color of your urine. A dark or heavy yellow color can indicate dehydration. Ideally, it should be clear or pale.

Fatigue and low energy

All forms of intermittent fasting involve some change in your eating habits. Because of this, your body can react by becoming fatigued and having lower levels of energy.

Don’t worry – Fatigue and low energy are only temporary. This side effect happens as a result of your body telling you “I need energy now”. However, over time your body will adapt so that you are able to function just as well as when you don’t fast – and probably even better.

If you have been doing intermittent fasting for a few weeks and are still feeling hungry, we recommend trying a different type of intermittent fasting schedule.

Hunger and cravings

This one is no surprise – When you fast, cravings and hunger are common when starting out. Hunger can be a sinister roadblock when you start out with intermittent fasting – you may feel weak or lethargic.

However, the good news is that multiple studies have shown that most people only experience hunger when they start out with intermittent fasting. Towards the 21 day mark, most people have adjusted, and don’t report extra hunger or cravings. Therefore if you are feeling hungry or have cravings, then try to wait it out. Your body will most likely adapt, and you will feel better overall.

Overeating

One of the most natural responses to feeling hungry is to eat a lot. As a result, some people can actually end up overeating when their fasting periods end.

There is a biological reason for this, as your hormones and brain centers responsible for regulating hunger kick into overdrive when you fast. This can have the negative consequence of having you eat way more than you intend once you finally get to eat.

Intermittent fasting can have negative interactions with certain medications

Of the many intermittent fasting side effects, this one is important to keep an eye on. It’s important to keep whatever medications or medical conditions you have in mind when you start intermittent fasting because they can have potential adverse effects. While most people can do intermittent fasting without any problems. The two major things to watch out for are diabetes and medication that has to be taken with food.

If you suffer from any of these or are otherwise worried, you should consult your doctor or physician before trying intermittent fasting.

Waking up at night

This one is related to the hunger side effect. While many people report sleeping better when they do intermittent fasting, there are some who have trouble sleeping. Just like with many other things, you will slowly get used to your new eating habits, and the sleep disturbances will stop.

In a study, it was shown that intermittent fasting has no long-term effect on sleep. This means that most sleep disturbances are probably temporary.

Headaches

Headaches are a common side effect of intermittent fasting. They are especially common when you just start out with intermittent fasting, and that is with good reason. This is because headaches are a common symptom to changes in your diet.

There can be numerous other causes of your headaches. Notably are caffeine and sugar withdrawal and dehydration. Those who consume less sugar or caffeine than they would before they started fasting actually get worse headaches.

Going on an intermittent fasting eating plan can also cause you to drink less water, which can lead to dehydration which can cause headaches. When you start out intermittent fasting, it is important to drink plenty of water, as water doesn’t break your fast. If you are still experiencing headaches a few weeks into your fast, you might have to look into other probable causes.

Brain Fog

Brain fog can set in as a result of a variety of other symptoms you might experience when doing intermittent fasting. You might have trouble sleeping, feel hungry, or disorientated when you start out fasting.

That foggy, confused feeling is common when you start or return to intermittent fasting. Here are a few good tips that help with brain fog and might alleviate other side effects as well.

• Take frequent breaks.
• Get fresh air – go for walks.
• Stay hydrated.
• Don’t push yourself too hard

As with many other symptoms, brain fog usually occurs at the start of fasting and usually subsides after a few weeks.

Malnutrition

The opposite problem of overeating is that some people can become malnourished when doing intermittent fasting.

The problem usually occurs if you don’t properly plan your fasting. While it is important to restrict your caloric intake during the fasting periods to experience the positive effects of intermittent fasting, it is equally important to get a healthy intake of calories when you are able to eat.

Therefore it is helpful to follow a structured diet plan, to make sure you get the right nutrition when you fast. High-quality nutrition can even be extra beneficial for intermittent fasting

Bad breath

One unfortunate side effect you might experience when doing intermittent fasting is bad breath. This usually occurs due to two things: Dehydration and a change in metabolism. When you are dehydrated, you tend to have less saliva, which can lead to unpleasant smells staying in the mouth instead of being washed away.

If you think you are dehydrated or have a parched throat, you can drink as much water as you want when you do fasting – it doesn’t break your fast.

The second cause is harder to get rid of. When you switch to intermittent fasting, your body performs ketosis, which is a healthy way of burning fat as fuel for your body. This has a number of positive effects, however, burning fat has ammonia as a by-product, which can cause a bad smell.

If you experience persistent bad breath, some breath-mints or chewing gum can save you. As long as they don’t contain any calories, you aren’t at risk of breaking your fast.

Summary

There are many potential intermittent fasting side effects. However, most of them are totally harmless. In addition, most side effects only happen as a result of switching to a fasting lifestyle, and will quickly disappear as your body gets used to IF.