Glossary
Autophagy
The word comes from Greek: auto (self) + phagy (eating). Autophagy was first characterised by Nobel Prize winner Yoshinori Ohsumi in 2016. It typically ramps up after 16-24 hours of fasting and accelerates further during extended fasts. Autophagy helps clear misfolded proteins, damaged organelles, and cellular debris — essentially the body internal housekeeping system.
A natural cellular process where the body breaks down and recycles damaged or dysfunctional components. During fasting, autophagy increases significantly — one of the primary biological mechanisms behind the long-term health benefits of extended fasting.