Doctor Says a Woman Fasted 72 Days and Her Diabetes Went Away
Under a doctor's supervision, she drank only tea, coffee, salted water, and occasional oil, and lost about 55 to 60 lbs.
The Diary Of A CEO Clips · THIS Is #1 FASTEST Way To BURN Dangerous FatFor 72 days, she ate no food at all.
What she had each day could be carried in a mug and a water bottle. Black tea, black coffee, and water. Once a day, she put electrolytes in the water, sometimes as half a teaspoon of Celtic salt, a mineral-rich sea salt. If she got cravings and felt really hungry, she put a teaspoon of MCT oil, a fat taken from coconuts, in water and drank that as well.
The woman was terribly overweight, said the doctor who supervised her fast. She had diabetes and high blood pressure. She had joint problems, with hip and knee replacements, and she had skin problems.
She did the fast under medical supervision. A fast of this length should not be tried at home, because medical supervision is critical.
The routine stayed the same for the full 72 days, with no meals and only those fluids.
At the end, the doctor said her diabetes was gone and her blood pressure had normalized. She had lost a lot of weight, about 55 to 60 lbs.
Questions people ask
Is it actually safe to go 72 days without food?
It can be done under close medical supervision in people with large energy reserves, but it is not generally safe to do alone. Doctors must monitor electrolytes, hydration, heart rhythm, and medications, especially for diabetes and blood pressure, which need frequent adjustment as levels fall. Prolonged fasting without supervision risks dangerous salt imbalances, fainting, heart problems, and refeeding syndrome when food is reintroduced.
Why didn't she just starve?
A person with obesity carries tens of thousands of calories stored as body fat, which can fuel the body for weeks when insulin is low. During extended fasting, the liver converts released fat into ketones, which the brain and other organs can use for energy. That is why medical screening matters: the ability to fast safely depends on fat stores, underlying illness, and medications.
What happens when you start eating again after such a long fast?
Refeeding must be slow and supervised, usually starting with small amounts of broth, eggs, or other light foods before returning to larger meals. Eating too much, too fast after prolonged fasting can cause dangerous shifts in phosphate, potassium, and magnesium that affect the heart. Doctors also typically restart or adjust medications carefully because diabetes and blood pressure may have improved.