Autophagy: How the body eats itself during fasting When the body goes without food for an extended period, typically between 14 and 24 hours, it activates a cellular process known as autophagy, which literally means “self-eating.” During this state, the body begins to break down and recycle old, damaged, or malfunctioning cells, including those associated with ageing, inflammation and possibly even diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's. This Alzheimer's cleansing mechanism helps eliminate cellular debris, misfolded proteins, and dysfunctional mitochondria, essentially performing a deep detox at the cellular level. READ ALSO: 7 health benefits...