article_snippet: In fact, skipping meals and fasting could actually be better for health than sticking to rigid eating patterns.
article_snippet: New research shows skipping meals and fasting could actually be beneficial for health, triggering weight loss and strengthening the immune system .
article_snippet: Fasting can be good for your health, experts claim.
article_snippet: A study found that fasting for two days or more can help to kick-start the immune system, especially if A study has been damaged by ageing or cancer treatment.
article_snippet: Valter Longo, a longevity expert at the University of Southern California, said: ‘When you starve, the immune system tries to save energy, and one of the things the immune system can do to save energy is to recycle a lot of the immune cells that are not needed, especially those that may be damaged.
article_snippet: His team found fasting for two to four days every six months forced the body into survival mode, using up stores of fat and sugar and breaking down old cells.
article_snippet: And new research suggests fasting - deemed 'uncivilized' by the European settlers - could actually be healthy.
article_snippet: Advocates of the 5:2 diet, which involves limiting food to just 500 calories on two days a week, say denying the body food leads to weight loss, a longer lifespan and lower blood pressure.
article_snippet: Similarly, a University of Southern California study published Last year found fasting for two to four days every six months forces the body into survival mode, using up stores of fat and sugar and breaking down old cells.
highlights_snippet: Fasting leads to weight loss and a stronger immune system, say experts .