Dana White Touts the Alleged Health Benefits of a 'Water Fast'

UFC president Dana White took to social media to share that he had just completed a three-and-a-half day water fast. And in addition to showing off some pretty drastic immediate physical results, the 54-year-old is claiming that there are a number of health benefits that can be achieved by fasting.

"Hey guys, I just got done fasting for 86 hours," White said in a video clip posted to Instagram on Wednesday night. "I feel like a superhero, I feel incredible, and I wanna tell you how I did it."

As White explained, he started his fast on Saturday night when he left the UFC 295 event in New York City and finished it Wednesday morning, sharing some pretty shocking before and after photos as proof. Even in the before photos, White was flaunting some pretty serious abdominal muscles. But sure enough, in the second photo his stomach looked lean and taut, with his chiseled six-pack on full display.

He said that the program in particular was called the seven-day water fast. "Doctors have done studies on this and this thing is legit," he explained. "It gives you an over 70 percent chance of not getting cancer, Alzheimer's, and other nasty diseases."

Basically, he says, you drink water for 72 hours; or at least in the version of the program he followed, which is evidently safer than seven entire days. However, he adds that you can add electrolytes to your water just as long as its free of sugar, carbs, calories, and so on.

After 24 hours, White added bone broth into his regimen, opting for the Kettle & Fire brand that only has 45 calories and less than 1 gram of carbs per serving, but 13 grams of protein.

"That is the cleanest broth available," he continued. "You can pick this up anywhere. You do this twice a day for the next two days. You drink all your water with electrolytes, but you do this twice a day. You're going to feel incredible. And obviously, you're doing this for the internal, but externally? You get absolutely shredded on this thing."

And while there will certainly be skeptics to the so-called water fast, there have indeed been scientific studies that seem to indicate that there are a number of potential longterm health benefits. Fasting promotes autophagy, which is a process that involves old parts of your cells being broken down and recycled. According to Healthline, autophagy may help protect against diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease.

However, there are also potential health risks associated with water fasting such as dehydration, since about 20 to 30 percent of our water intake comes from the foods we eat. And while water fasting will certainly restrict calories and help you lose weight quickly, a lot of that initial weight may come from water, carbs, and even a small amount of muscle mass.

As always, it's best to consult with your physician before embarking on any new weight loss or extreme diet regimen.