If you’ve been paying close attention to the health world lately, you’ve likely heard the word autophagy.  It’s an incredibly important topic that we’re learning more and more about, and with each emerging study, the scientific community is realizing how powerful it is!  Autophagy, often described as the body’s natural recycling process, plays a vital role in cellular renewal, which can help protect against disease and support longevity.  Stick with me – even if you don’t care about the science, learning how to use autophagy for your benefit is important.

As a Doctor of Clinical Nutrition, I help my clients stimulate autophagy regularly to support their health now and their longevity and healthspan later.  I’m excited to introduce you to this essential process and share practical ways to support it. Let’s dive into what autophagy is, why it matters, and some strategies for supporting it in your daily life.

What is Autophagy?

Autophagy is the body’s process of breaking down and recycling old, damaged, or dysfunctional cells to make way for new, healthier cells. The term “autophagy” comes from the Greek words for “self” and “eat”—literally meaning “self-eating.” It’s a critical mechanism for maintaining cellular health and preventing the accumulation of cellular waste.  Think of it like taking out the garbage in your body’s cells—it removes waste and damaged components that hinder cellular function.

Autophagy is very related to the inflammatory cascade: cells experience damage from daily wear and tear, inflammation, or oxidative stress, which, over time, can contribute to various age-related issues if left unchecked. This “cleansing” process has shown promise in supporting everything from metabolism and immune function to brain health and healthy aging. When autophagy is working optimally, it promotes better resilience to cellular damage, reduces inflammation, and supports longevity.

Unfortunately, naturally occurring autophagy often slows with aging.  It also becomes even more important as we age, because cellular damage has accumulated over time.  Fortunately, it can be upregulated under certain conditions, such as fasting, exercise, and certain dietary patterns. Autophagy acts as a form of “housekeeping” that helps keep cells efficient and free from potentially harmful build-up, with potential benefits for everything from brain health to immunity.

Science Nerd Sidebar: Though similar-sounding, autophagy and apoptosis (programmed cell death) are different. While apoptosis disposes of whole cells that are beyond repair, autophagy selectively removes damaged parts of cells, effectively “upcycling” them into usable components.

The Science of Autophagy: How it Works and When it Happens

Autophagy is regulated by nutrient availability and cellular energy levels, primarily through key signaling pathways called AMPK (which activates during energy shortages) and mTOR (which deactivates in response to stress). When these pathways sense stressors, they signal the initiation of autophagy to start breaking down and recycling damaged cellular components.

For example, during fasting or periods of low carbohydrate availability, autophagy increases to provide energy through the breakdown of internal components rather than external food sources. This recycling process has been shown to protect against neurodegeneration, metabolic diseases, and aging by promoting cellular renewal.

Practical Ways to Support Autophagy Naturally

To increase autophagy naturally, here are some science-backed methods to incorporate into daily life:

• Exercise (Especially HIIT and Resistance Training): Exercise creates mild stress that stimulates autophagy, particularly in muscle cells. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and resistance training are especially effective, as shown in research. However, we don’t want to over do it (see the common misconceptions below!), so these should be worked into your training plan safely.
• Fasting: Fasting is one of the best-known ways to stimulate autophagy. Intermittent fasting for 12–16 hours a day activates autophagy by shifting the body into a state of cellular maintenance. Intermittent fasting is not for everyone (see this post to determine if it’s right for you), but there are other forms of fasting.  For example, I am for 12 days of the Prolon Fasting Mimicking Diet per year in divided doses, and this is a proven mechanism of activating autophagy.  The official protocol is 5 days, 2-4 times per year, but I personally feel best with 4, 3-day Prolon sessions through the year.  You can learn more about the benefits of the Prolon Fasting Mimicking Diet in my interview with Dr. Joseph Antoun here, and can get a discount on it here.
• Prioritizing Quality Sleep: During deep sleep, particularly the non-REM stages, the brain cleans out waste, including proteins that contribute to neurodegenerative diseases. Research has shown that poor sleep disrupts autophagy, particularly in brain cells, which has implications for several neurodegenerative diseases.
• Thermal Therapy (Cold Exposure and Heat): Utilizing cold exposure (e.g., cold showers, cryotherapy, or ice baths) and heat (e.g., sauna) induces autophagy by promoting cellular stress response. Incorporating these into a weekly routine can help support your cellular turnover.
• Nutrient-Dense, Low-Glycemic Foods: Foods rich in polyphenols (like dark berries, green tea, and dark chocolate) and low in glycemic impact (like leafy greens and high-fiber foods) reduce inflammation, which indirectly promotes autophagy.
• Emerging Autophagy Promoters: The following are things I’m keeping my eye on as the research swells.  These are still emerging therapies!  Compounds like Urolithin A (found in pomegranates and being touted by companies like Timeline Nutrition and Mitopure for its benefit in mitophagy, which is autophagy of the mitochondria), spermidine (in aged cheese, mushrooms and also taken supplementally), resveratrol (in grapes and red wine and taken supplementally), and metformin (which, in my read of the research, does not seem to be as promising as some once thought due to its potential to damage mitochondria) are being studied for their autophagy-promoting properties.

Foods that Encourage Autophagy

Certain foods and nutrients support autophagy by promoting cellular health and reducing inflammation:

• Green Tea: Contains EGCG, a powerful polyphenol shown to induce autophagy
• Curcumin (Turmeric): Known for its anti-inflammatory effects, curcumin has also been shown to promote autophagy
• Berries: Blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries are high in antioxidants and polyphenols, which support autophagy indirectly by reducing oxidative stress.
• Dark Chocolate (70%+ cacao): You know it’s my favorite, so the fact that it promotes autophagy and cellular resilience is great news
• Coffee: More great news – coffee has been shown to stimulate autophagy
• Olive oil: Olive oil possesses so many amazing health effects, including stimulating autophagy

Common Misconceptions about Autophagy

• “More Autophagy is Always Better”: While intermittent fasting can increase autophagy, excessively long fasting can be counterproductive and cause nutrient depletion.  Excessive exercise can also be counterproductive, as can any hormetic stressor on the body.  We want a balance – autophagy periodically, but focusing on BUILDING healthy cells by nourishing our bodies and strength training most times.
• “Autophagy Only Occurs When You’re Hungry”: Autophagy is active at low levels even when fed; it simply becomes more pronounced during certain hormetic stressors, like fasting or exercise.
• “Autophagy Can Replace a Healthy Diet”: Although autophagy can help “clean up” cellular waste, it’s not a substitute for a balanced diet. Nothing is, plain and simple.  This is an EXTRA tool in your toolkit, not (by any means) the ONLY tool.  Please read that again!

Conclusion: Incorporating Autophagy for Health and Wellness

Autophagy is a powerful, natural process that supports longevity, cellular health, and resilience to chronic disease. By understanding how this process works and making small lifestyle changes to support it—like trying intermittent fasting, incorporating exercise, improving sleep, and eating nutrient-dense foods—you can enhance your body’s natural “clean-up” mechanism.

If you’d like personalized support to optimize your health and develop a lifestyle that aligns with your unique wellness goals, The Lyons’ Share Wellness is here to help. Our team of expert nutritionists and wellness coaches can provide individualized guidance to help you incorporate strategies like these to feel energized, balanced, and healthy. Contact us today to take the first step toward lasting wellness.

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️ Want to hear about this topic in audio format? → Check out the podcast episode here!