Fasting — essentially, putting the body into “starvation mode” — can increase metabolic activity, produce antioxidants, and possibly help reverse some effects of aging, suggests a small study conducted by researchers at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University in Japan. Published in Scientific Reports, the research identified levels of metabolites that rise during fasting and could provide a number of health benefits.

According to the researchers, levels of many of these substances decrease with age, and maintaining higher levels — for example, through fasting — could enhance longevity. Similar results have also been observed in animal models in other studies.