Se llama ayuno al acto de abstenerse total o parcialmente de comer o beber, a veces por un período de tiempo. Puede realizarse por diversos motivos, pero los principales son religiosos, como manifestación pacífica (en este caso se lo suele llamar huelga de hambre), o como técnica curativa pseudocientífica en la naturopatía asociado o no a infusiones de plantas medicinales, medicinas naturistas. Recientemente, varias investigaciones (muchas en ratas) han encontrado multitud de beneficios de los estados de ayuno o por lo general, de cetosis. Estos se han realizado mayormente en condiciones de ayuno intermitente o restricción calórica, y van desde neurológicos y prevención del alzheimer a metabólicos, cardiovasculares y cerebrovasculares

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Fasting is a willing abstinence of food, solid or liquid. One can then fast and drink water or unsweetened herb teas, which will not supply any nutrients.Practices limiting the global intake of food or particular foods or substances are only diets - restrictive diets, low-calory diets, one-meal-a-day diet, etc. In a physiological context, fasting may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight, or to the metabolic state achieved after complete digestion and absorption of a meal. Several metabolic adjustments occur during fasting, and some diagnostic tests are used to determine a fasting state. For example, a person is assumed to be fasting after 8–12 hours from their last meal. Metabolic changes toward the fasting state begin after absorption of a meal (typically 3–5 hours after a meal); "post-absorptive state" is synonymous with this usage, in contrast to the postprandial state of ongoing digestion. A diagnostic fast refers to prolonged fasting (from 8–72 hours depending on age) conducted under observation for investigation of a problem, usually hypoglycemia. Also, extended fasting has been recommended as therapy for various conditions by health professionals of many cultures, throughout history, from ancient to modern. Fasting is also a part of many religious observances.

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