Autophagy is a powerful biological process involving the breaking down and recycling of old cells. Literally defined as “self-eating,” it can be extremely beneficial for cellular function and overall wellness.
To kickstart the process of improved health, you can induce autophagy through fasting or a ketogenic diet that mimics the effects of fasting.
What Is Autophagy?
Autophagy is one of the body’s built-in recycling processes. It occurs in response to cellular stress, usually after calorie and/or nutrient restriction.
To keep cells functioning in spite of this restriction, autophagy allows your body to break down unneeded or damaged cell components and recycle them into useful materials. This supports cellular health and homeostasis and ensures cells can continue functioning optimally. (1)
People often associate autophagy with fasting because fasting, particularly intermittent or extended fasting, can trigger the process. During fasting, cells are prompted to break down and recycle internal resources to maintain function.
This can lead to better aging, a stronger metabolism, reduced inflammation, and healthier weight loss.
The 5 Stages
During autophagy, the body breaks down cell components that are damaged or no longer needed to create new, usable cellular material.
There’s no way you can definitively test for autophagy at home, but some signs it may be occurring in your cells are high ketone levels from autophagy and a reduced appetite.
Autophagy happens in five phases:
- Induction: This phase begins when biochemical and hormonal signals, such as nutrient deprivation or stress, trigger the initiation of autophagy. The ULK1 complex plays a key role in activating the process. A specialized structure called the omegasome forms in the cytoplasm, marking the site where a phagophore (a membrane precursor) will develop around cellular “junk” material.
- Nucleation: The phagophore begins to expand around the targeted cellular components that need to be degraded. The PI3K complex I helps drive the growth of the phagophore as it surrounds the material.
- Elongation and Completion: The phagophore continues to grow, leading to autophagosome formation. This double-membrane structure fully engulfs the cellular debris.
- Docking and Fusion: Also known as the maturation phase, the autophagosome fuses with a lysosome, a specialized cellular structure that contains digestive enzymes. An autolysosome is formed when the two structures are fused together.
- Degradation: The enzymes in the autolysosome break down the swallowed material into their most basic components, which the body can then reuse to create new structures.
The steps to the autophagic process above may be different somewhat depending on the resource, and they may go by different names. (2) There are different types of autophagy, too, including chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA), microautophagy, and macroautophagy. (3)
The end goal of the process is always the same.
Causes
Autophagy is a response to cellular stress from nutrient and calorie restriction, oxidative stress, or some form of damage to the cells. (4) Essentially, your cells are eating themselves to survive, which helps them behave more efficiently.
While selective autophagy can occur with certain health conditions or sicknesses, it can also be induced in a few different ways. Here’s how that works:
- Calorie restriction: The body signals autophagy to begin when there is a lack of nutrition, especially proteins and carbs. (5)
- Intermittent fasting: Fasting is the most reliable way to induce autophagy. (6) It may also boost ketosis, reduce inflammation, and support glucose metabolism. Different fasting protocols meet different needs but start with your healthcare provider before you fast.
- Ketosis: A low-carb, high-fat keto diet causes the body to enter a state of ketosis, where it burns ketones from fat as its primary fuel source. Ketogenic diets are sometimes called “fasting-mimicking” because they provide fasting benefits like autophagy induction. It is worth mentioning that ketosis does not provide the same degree of autophagy as intermittent fasting
- Vigorous exercise: Intense exercise may help induce autophagy in your skeletal muscles. (7) Exercise may be more effective at inducing autophagy if you are already in ketosis or a fasted state.
Benefits
The basic role of autophagy is to work as your body’s recycling system. It helps flush old or damaged cell components and tissues out of the body so that they can be replaced with healthier cell material.
It’s also an important part of the body’s natural immune response and helps the body function in a dependent manner in physiologically stressful circumstances.
Additional benefits of autophagy include:
- Cellular repair: Autophagy recycles damaged proteins and organelles, helping to repair and rejuvenate your body’s cells. (8)
- Protection from neurodegenerative diseases: Studies show autophagy is linked to a reduced risk of dementia. (9) Researchers are pursuing autophagy as a way to break down beta-amyloid plaques in the brain, which is common in Alzheimer’s disease.
- Improved immunity: Autophagy supports the immune system by destroying disease-causing pathogens and malfunctioning immune cells. (10) This may reduce your risk of getting sick after exposure to bacteria and viruses
- Detoxification: Autophagy acts as a natural detox that removes cellular waste, and harmful debris. (11)
- Metabolic efficiency: Autophagy enhances energy use by breaking down unnecessary components for fuel, improving metabolic function. (12)
- Longevity: Studies show the process promotes healthy aging by preventing the buildup of harmful elements over time. (13) This is good for cognitive health and reduces your risk of heart disease, cancer, and metabolic conditions. (14, 15)
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Autophagy’s Relation to Disorders and Diseases
Autophagy is a part of many different health and disease processes, including starvation and conditions that induce a state of cachexia, or wasting, like cancer.
That doesn’t necessarily make autophagy a symptom or a complication of these conditions. In fact, autophagy is an adaptive response that helps the body continue to function in spite of starvation.
However, there are also some diseases and health problems that may be caused by dysfunction within the body’s normal autophagic processes.
Researchers believe that neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s and the growth of cancer cells may both be linked to problems with autophagy. (16) This is particularly important as we age.
As we age, autophagy becomes less effective. Various anti-aging compounds like antioxidants work by helping to optimize autophagy effectiveness. Healthy fats, green tea, and turmeric are good food sources for healthier cellular function.
If your diet seems out of balance, our Keto Calculator is a free, efficient way to help you identify the fats, carbs, and proteins you need to meet your goals.
Time-restricted eating, a type of intermittent fasting, has also been linked to improvements in aging markers. Avoid alcohol if you’re trying to boost autophagy. Alcohol is known for its inhibition of the process.
Autophagy and Keto
Keto and autophagy both influence cellular metabolism. The ketogenic diet can help induce a calorie deficit and make it easier to fast for longer periods, which in turn supports autophagy.
Risks and Considerations
It’s important that you balance autophagy through a healthy diet that supports cellular function. Start with intermittent fasting over extended fasting periods. Studies show autophagy kicks in anywhere from 18-24 hours of fasting, but it’s not a perfect science.
If you have any autophagy-related concerns or whether you’re overdoing it, talk to your healthcare provider.
Breaking Autophagy
Much like breaking a fast, autophagy can be interrupted by reintroducing nutrients, particularly carbohydrates and proteins. Eating a meal, especially one rich in glucose or amino acids, signals to the body that external energy is available, which stops the autophagy process.
Insulin spikes from eating carbs also stop autophagy by shifting the body from a fasting, energy-conserving mode to one focused on growth and repair.
The Takeaway
Many people are interested in inducing autophagy to help promote better cell health and increase longevity. Although fasting is the most effective way to induce autophagy, following a ketogenic diet can stimulate autophagy by promoting ketosis.
If you’re open to the benefits of keto on aging, weight management, and overall health, read these next:
- Managing Fasting Ketosis: Common Signs of Keto From Fasting
- Keto and Menopause: Is Keto Good for Your Hormones?
- How to Use the Ketogenic Diet for Productivity and Mental Performance
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the timing of autophagosome-lysosome fusion regulated?
Key proteins and signaling pathways, including Rab7, SNARE proteins, and the mTOR pathway, regulate the timing of autophagosome-lysosome fusion. Rab7 directs the transport of autophagosomes to lysosomes. SNARE proteins facilitate membrane fusion. Finally, mTOR activity influences autophagy by coordinating nutrient availability with fusion timing.
What are the physiological effects of autophagy?
The physiological effects of autophagy include enhanced cellular repair, the removal of damaged proteins, lipids, and organelles, and better energy efficiency. The process also reduces inflammation, boosts immune function, and supports detoxification.
Autophagy also has some protective effects against neurodegeneration, decreases your risk of cancer, and supports healthier aging thanks to effects on homeostasis at the cell level.
Does autophagy burn fat?
Autophagy can burn fats in the body, but you shouldn’t count on it as a weight loss strategy. Weight loss can occur from fasting or following ketogenic diets, but these are separate processes.