Psyche logo

What If You Stopped Eating?

The Consequences of Starvation: How Your Body Adapts and Struggles Without Food

By Mariam FathalrahmanPublished about a year ago 3 min read

Cars require gasoline to run, campfires require wood to generate heat, and you need food to power every part of your existence. What would happen to your body at this precise moment if you abruptly stopped consuming food? We must first comprehend the consequences of eating in order to comprehend what occurs when you abstain from meals.

The earliest source of life is the sun, which is used by plants and photosynthesis to generate life. After that, we either consume plants like tomatoes or animals like chickens that have eaten plants like grains to expend the chemical energy that has been stored. Consider a hamburger : the patties provide you with proteins, the starchy bun provides you with carbohydrates, and the lipid-rich sauces provide you with lipids.

And it's your digestive system that breaks down food into small enough molecules for your bloodstream to absorb it through mechanisms like chewing, stomach acid, and enzymes. Any extra glucose is converted to fat in the muscles and liver, where it is stored as glycogen. Some of the fat deposits in the chubbier areas of your body are visible. Your body is made up of over 37 trillion cells, and it is in the mitochondria of these cells that you begin to genuinely absorb energy from your diet.

Here, lipids and carbohydrates are converted to acetyl CoA, which is then used in the citric acid cycle to undergo continual modification and release a large number of molecules that transport energy. Following the use of the energy from these molecules, protons are pumped into a layer of the mitochondria known as the dense layer. This layer of protons has to diffuse back into the less crowded area by passing via a protein known as ATP synthase.

The most significant energy source in your body, ATP, is produced as a consequence. Approximately 10²⁵ molecules of ATP are used by you each day. The link breaks when this ATP is hydrolyzed into ADP in your body, providing energy for things like electrons to form bonds and, in essence, create everything that makes you alive. If you were to stop eating, your body would begin converting fat into acetyl CoA and glycogen into glucose within six hours to maintain your biological functions. It is natural for this to happen, but after 72 hours, your body will need to start digesting protein in order to produce glucose from amino acids, or else your brain will go without food.

This is due to the fact that lipids that are utilized as fuel cannot pass across the blood-brain barrier. Within a week, people may begin to feel unwell if they are not getting enough vitamins and minerals. Following many weeks of hunger, the body's fat reserves run out, leaving only proteins as a source of energy. At this point, proteins that are vital for survival—such as muscle proteins that provide strength or antibodies that fight infection—are being converted to glucose. And serious ailments are caused by this loss of protein. Death can occur in as little as three weeks or as long as seventy days; heart attacks are typically the cause because of tissue deterioration in the body, diaphragm, and heart.

The amount of fat storage you have to start with and how hydrated you remain are two factors that affect how long you live. While it's incredible to consider that you could be able to survive.

* * * ** *** ** * ** ** * *** *** ** * **** ** ** *** * * *** * ** * ** ** * * *

disordereatingrecovery

About the Creator

Mariam Fathalrahman

Whether you’re a nature lover, a history buff, or simply someone who enjoys a good read, there’s something here for you, diving into topics as diverse as the mysteries of Earth and nature. Join me, and let’s explore the world together.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments (1)

Sign in to comment
  • Esala Gunathilakeabout a year ago

    Superb Mariam.

Find us on social media

Miscellaneous links

  • Explore
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Support

© 2026 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.