How many days can a person live without food?

There is no scientific study of how long humans can survive without food or water, as that is unethical.

Most people can only survive 2 to 4 days without water Shutterstock

That is why most of the research in this area is case studies of emergency survival situations. For example, an Austrian man, left in prison, lived for 18 days without food or water. This is the longest record in history, according to Business Insider.

How long can you live if you fast?

Dr. Mir Ali, a medical surgeon and a member of the American Society of Weight Loss Surgeons, says people can often go weeks without eating.

This time depends on many factors including gender, body composition, last thing you ate and drank before. fastingand the environment, Dr. Andrea Paul, physician co-founder of Care Company health Health Media Experts, said.

For example, people with more fat stores may live longer because the body can burn stored fat for fuel during times of extreme hunger, Dr. Ali said.

Moreover, if given water but no food, they can survive up to 2 months, according to Business Insider.

A study of hunger and voluntary hunger fast looked at cases where still drinking water, but no food. In 3 cases, people went 28, 36 and 38 days without food, before becoming too sick to continue.

In other cases, the hunger strike person die after 45 to 61 days without food, Business Insider.

In general, thin people can endure hunger for a shorter time and women can endure hunger longer than men

What happens when you fast?

When there is no food, the body will go through a period of starvation because you do not have the calories it needs to fuel the function of your organs. So if there are no calories, the body will have to get that fuel from other sources.

The body will try to break down tissue and use stored nutrients to sustain life for as long as possible, says Dr. Paul. The body has tremendous resilience when pushed to the threshold of life and death.

First, the body takes in all the remaining sugar. In the first few hours, it takes all the sugar out of the blood. Next is glycogen – a type of sugar in the liver – about 24 hours later.

In addition, the body has to switch from burning sugar to burning stored fat. This is when you start to lose significant weight and have preliminary hunger symptoms like dizziness, brain fog, and fatigue.

The body can last a few days to a few weeks, then it will run out of fat stores, depending on how much or little fat it has. But once the fat is gone, the only thing left for the body to burn is the protein inside the muscles, says Dr. Ali. This may include the heart muscle, increasing the risk of cardiac arrest.

Starving is extremely dangerous and causes organ failure, which can be fatal if left untreated Shutterstock

Once the body starts burning protein, health goes downhill very quickly, causing:

• Osteoporosis or decreased bone density
• Heart-related diseaes
• Organ failure

If not treated early, inevitable organ failure can be fatal Business Insider.

How long can you live without drinking?

It is estimated that humans can only survive for 2 to 4 days without water Business Insider.

For example, in 1944, two scientists fasted while eating a dry diet rich in essential nutrients.

As a result, one lasted 3 days and the other lasted 4 days before they had to stop the test.

The body has no internal process to compensate for the lack of water, says Dr. Paul. Within hours of fasting, you may begin to experience symptoms of dehydration including:

• Thirsty
• Dry skin
• Dizzy

Over time, these developments will lead to:

• Confusion
• Heart beats very fast
• Organ failure

Dr. Ali said dehydration can cause rapid death, especially in hot climates Business Insider.