Hans writes:

>Do ever wild animals fast when there is enough food of the right
>kind around?
>As we humans inherits from "wild animals" we should function in
>the same way.
>My wild guess is that wild animals occasionally change their diet to
>suit special needs during sickness or so, but do not fast.

Actually, fasting is quite common in the animal kingdom, and the mechanisms
for autolysis (self-digestion of fat and other nonessential tissues) to
sustain the essential tissues are pretty much built into cellular
metabolism itself, one would think. A number of animals are known to
hibernate during which time they don't eat of course. Also, there are quite
a few animals who fast during a mating season of pretty incredible activity
and prolific production and release of sperm, etc. (With some time, I could
locate examples, if people are interested.) Actually, any time you lose
weight, the same mechanisms of autolysis come into play to some degree.
Fasting is a pretty "natural" activity, actually.

My question regarding its evolution is if its only "use" is *survival*
during famine for humans. The claims by many of those who have fasted and
seen improvements in health would be that it is also *rejuvenative.* So I
am asking: If--assuming that might be so--what would the evolutionary
mechanism or "pathway" have been for that effect to develop? With male
animals who fast during the mating season with increased production of
sperm, it does seem there would be some precedent or ability for organisms
to "redirect" or enhance areas of metabolism from their normal baseline
during fasting. I would like to see some scientific evidence, however, as
so far those with the most practical experience in extended fasting (the
natural hygienist camp) have plenty of theory but little or no
peer-reviewed documentation regarding these effects to my knowledge.

--Ward Nicholson <[log in to unmask]>