How long to fast for autophagy?

The duration required for fasting to induce autophagy isn't definitively established for humans. Rhonda Patrick and Guido Kroemer discussed that while longer fasts (e.g., 48 hours in rodents scaling to approximately four days in humans) are known to robustly induce autophagy, the exact minimum duration needed is still unclear and likely varies between individuals and contexts 1 2 3.

Shorter intermittent fasts (like 14–16 hours) might also contribute, but this is less certain. Rhonda Patrick noted that she follows a time-restricted eating pattern with a 14-hour nightly fast and incorporates physical activity, suggesting some autophagy might occur during this period, although more research is needed to confirm 1 4.