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by dokument 2978 days ago
You can't live off of just fat.

Also, you are a collection of organisms that work together to keep "you" alive. Punishing your gut bacteria/etc just because you can is not healthy.

4 comments

> You can't live off of just fat.

He had electrolyte maintenance and periodic monitoring. Fasting is a remarkable component of the cure for all sorts of things.

> Punishing your gut bacteria/etc just because you can is not healthy.

Your gut bacteria don't care. They exit as poop and the remainders will be selected for survival, not "punishment". How does one "punish" bacteria? What does that even mean?

I do not think he was speaking literally, suggesting that the fellow was taking his naughty gut bacteria out and spanking them but rather suggesting that long fasts could disrupt the balance of your gut flora and cause issues when you start a natural diet and start feeding a different ecosystem of bacteria.
How does one "punish" bacteria? What does that even mean?

Let's be charitable. He probably meant that the intestinal fauna population would be greatly impacted. For what it's worth, about half the time I read, "What does that even mean?" I can immediately think of a possible interpretation, and it makes me think the one who asked should have tried at least a little.

And your specific mix of gut bacteria / the ecosystem might be a factor in "making you fat" due to the feedback process between gut bacteria and the brain / hormones. So applying evolutionary pressures to that bacteria might be a good thing.
In the paper they mention he wasn't living off just fat.

Gut flora is not hard to restore, and in fact people have to do it quite often since antibiotics take their toll on it.

You could kiss someone who just vomited and lick an asshole if you want to restore gut bacteria that thrives under a normal diet. No big deal

downvoters: I'm not wrong

> downvoter: I'm not wrong

downvoter isn't either, IMO