Is Faster’s High a thing?

Alpha · 2018-07-15 13:37:32 UTC

I think this is how prophets talk to God.

Sierra · 2019-01-28 23:39:26 UTC

Yes, it is a thing. One type of ketone body is beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), almost identical in structure to gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB, the “date rape” drug which is described as being similar in effect to molly or ecstasy) which would explain the feelings of euphoria with a fasting high.

Low-carb diets, fasting and euphoria: Is there a link between ketosis and gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB)?

AJ Brown, Medical hypotheses, 2007

Anecdotal evidence links the initial phase of fasting or a low-carbohydrate diet with feelings of well-being and mild euphoria. These feelings have often been attributed to ketosis, the production of ketone bodies which can replace glucose as an energy source for the brain. One of these ketone bodies, beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), is an isomer of the notorious drug of abuse, GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate). GHB is also of interest in relation to its potential as a treatment for alcohol and opiate dependence and narcolepsy-associated cataplexy. Here I hypothesize that, the mild euphoria often noted with fasting or low-carbohydrate diets may be due to shared actions of BHB and GHB on the brain. Specifically, I propose that BHB, like GHB, induces mild euphoria by being a weak partial agonist for GABA(B) receptors. I outline several approaches that would test the hypothesis, including receptor binding studies in cultured cells, perception studies in trained rodents, and psychometric testing and functional magnetic resonance imaging in humans. These and other studies investigating whether BHB and GHB share common effects on brain chemistry and mood are timely and warranted, especially when considering their structural similarities and the popularity of ketogenic diets and GHB as a drug of abuse.

Alecmcq · 2019-01-30 08:46:27 UTC

Wow! Well that kinda provides some level of support to the idea by suggesting the pathways! But no formal research.

Janie · 2019-01-30 15:25:12 UTC

Who would fund this research? Can’t make money off people not eating and no drugs to develop.

Madeleine · 2019-01-31 14:32:03 UTC

A few years ago I read a great article on fasting - lots of stories of it helping with a myriad of health concerns and even some explanation of the mechanisms - but the last sentence was something along the lines of “Since it’s known that fasting isn’t safe, researchers are looking into a drug that can imitate some of the great effects.”

OldDoug · 2019-01-31 15:17:06 UTC

Cool, Sierra, that’s interesting - never thought of that but yeah, such a similar chemical.

What I wonder about is the non-constancy of the feelings, i.e. my own experience is that when I’m several days into a fast and thus surely running on ketones, the euphoria (if any) appears sparsely and without regularity.

I could see an initial “rush” of good feeling as the body ramped up fat-burning and ketone production, but would suspect that some desensitization would then occur and the effect would be muted. For me that does not happen - it’s truly haphazard, maybe it appears, maybe not, and later episodes during a fast are as good or better than earlier ones.

Not too worried about it - I’m really sold on fasting and the benefits it provides. Personally, getting enough sleep makes a huge difference - and I’m foolish for not doing it more.

I think there are times when, after a lifetime of dealing with too much food, too many carbohydrates, additives, refined and processed junk, a fast gets me to a place where things (for once) are really working the way they are supposed to. Ketones, endorphins, adrenaline, etc., may well be playing a part too - I picture multiple cycles at work, occasionally rising to the top together and then that great feeling comes upon me. It’s then that I wonder if this is what it felt like to live thousands of years ago.