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Lifestyle

What Would Happen If You Drank Only Water and Ate No Food for 2 Days?


Consumption of food and water is essential to human life; food gives us energy, and water keeps us hydrated so that our body can function properly. Hence, adequate water intake is inevitable to keep our body function optimally. Skipping food or water for a significant period is called starvation, and when we starve, our body starts functioning quite differently to reduce energy consumption. Starvation for a longer period of time can lead to death. No studies have been made yet on humans about how long we can live without food and water, as it's considered unethical. However, according to old research on starvation and hunger strike data, we can survive for a few weeks without food, but we can survive for a few days only without water. However, what would happen if you drank water and had no food for two days? Well, you will indeed survive, but there will be a lot going in your body. When you don't eat anything for more than 8 hours, your body starts converting glycogen into glucose from the liver to produce energy. If you starve for a longer duration, your body will start digesting your muscles to some extent. And if you are still hungry, now your body will start using amino acids and fat stores. As you will be consuming water, so your body will be hydrated. Do you know? Women can starve longer than men; it's because women have higher fat composition in their body than men, and they can hold on to protein and lean muscle more comfortably than men during starvation. Human fats are stored in adipose tissues; the more fat storage your body has, the more you can starve. So, people with higher fat storage can survive longer than those with less fat storage. People involved in hunger strikers are closely monitored; if they lose 18% or more bodyweight, they are given immediate medical assistance, it can be fatal.

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