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In this process, cells break down and recycle their own organelles and proteins to maintain intracellular balance and stability.
Autophagy can affect growth. (Representative image)
Ultraman Ironman 7WM and Seven Continents marathoner Adil Nargolwala on Thursday (January 8) highlighted the health benefits of autophagy, noting that it is a “way for the body to anti-age and repair itself.”
Sharing some photographs about X, Nargolwala said that he recently did a continuous fast for a total of 110 hours.
He shared that after eating at a wedding on Saturday night, he began fasting and broke it with a meal on Thursday.
“It's been 110 hours since I last ate. Saturday night at a wedding, Thursday at noon, breaking my fast with a bowl of bone broth and some Greek yogurt with berries,” Nargowala wrote.
He further stated that fasting for more than 100 hours is “one of the most natural ways to promote repair and resilience.”
This is because our body stores excess food as fat due to constant eating. “Fasting allows the body to use stored energy – ketosis. The fire within can burn what it needs. Our ancestors practiced fasting while we practice eating foods we don't need, 3 meals + snacks during the day,” he wrote.
Nargolwala shared that during the fasting period he continued his routine, which includes running 10 km every day for a total of five days, working in the office and spending time with family.
“Be active without fatigue, sleep 8 to 9 hours every night. No food, no protein shakes, no vitamins, nothing, just water, lots of water and a little lime juice with table salt, no sugar to maintain electrolytes. Total weight loss of 4.8 kg… some water, obviously. The human body is the most amazing invention,” he concluded.
It's been 110 hours since I last ate. Saturday night at a wedding, Thursday at noon breaking the fast with a bowl of bone broth and some Greek yogurt with berries. Why did I do this?#Autophagy– please read about this. It is a way for the body to anti-age and repair itself. One 💯+ hour… pic.twitter.com/doN4uTxo0X
-Adil Nargolwala (@adilnargolwala) January 8, 2026
What is autophagy?
According to the National Institutes of Health, it is a “self-degrading process that is important for balancing energy sources at critical times in development and in response to nutritional stress.”
Under this process, cells degrade and recycle organelles and proteins to maintain intracellular homeostasis.
Yoshinori Ohsumi, the scientist who discovered the mechanisms of autophagy, received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2016.
The term has its origins in the Greek words auto, meaning “I” and phagein, meaning “to eat.” In simple words, autophagy means “eating yourself.”
How does it work? How effective is it?
Autophagy, the body's cellular recycling system, reuses old and damaged cell parts.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, autophagy recycles damaged cell parts to make them fully functional and even allows the body to get rid of non-functional cell parts. There are several ways to induce autophagy. These include:
1. Fasting: When you stop eating for a certain period of time, your body is deprived of nutrients. This forces it to reuse cellular components to function.
2. Restrict calories: This means reducing the number of calories your body consumes daily. Ultimately, it forces calls to perform autophagy to compensate for lost nutrients.
3. Change your diet: Following a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet significantly changes the way our body burns energy. Because of this, our body burns fat instead of carbohydrates or sugar to gain energy. Ultimately, this triggers autophagy.
4. Exercise: Exercise can also induce autophagy, but it depends on the type of exercise an individual performs and its intensity.
Are there any side effects?
Some studies have shown that excessive autophagy can carry risks, such as causing cardiac cell death that could contribute to heart problems such as cardiovascular disease.
Autophagy might even suppress or promote the growth of certain types of cancer cells in the body.
Healthline suggests that while autophagy is linked to several potential health benefits, the methods used to stimulate it may not be suitable for everyone.
For example, intermittent fasting or even following a ketogenic diet is not recommended for older adults or pregnant women.
Additionally, people with diabetes should consult their doctor before making any changes to their diet.
Delhi, India, India
January 9, 2026, 07:30 IST
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