· In contrast, with adequate water intake, some individuals have survived for several weeks, or even up to two to three months, without any food. This stark difference highlights that dehydration is a much more immediate threat to life than lack of food. Experts do not know exactly how long a person can live without eating, but there are records of people surviving without food or drink between 8 and 21 days.Estimates of how long you can live without food are based on events where people have survived being trapped or buried alive, as it is not ethical to carry out such experiments on humans. See full list on healthline.comFood and water consumption is essential to human life. Your body needs energy from food sources and hydration from water to function properly. The many systems in your body work optimally with a varied diet and adequate water intake daily. But our bodies are also able to survive for days without water. We can go days or sometimes weeks without food because of adjustments to our metabolism and energy consumption.See full list on healthline.comWhen a person’s body does not receive enough calories to carry out its usual life-supporting functions, this is known as starvation. This can happen if food intake is severely restricted, or if a person’s body cannot digest food to absorb nutrients. When the human body is severely deprived of calories, it starts functioning differently to reduce the amount of energy it burns. If nutrition is not restored, starvation leads to loss of life.There is no hard and fast “rule of thumb” for how long you can live without food. To some extent, the answer depends on individual differences and circumstances. Information about life expectancy is based on real world contexts, such as hunger strikes and serious medical conditions.With no food and no water, the maximum time the body can survive is thought to be about one week. With water only, but no food, survival time may extend up to 2 to 3 months. Over time, a severely restricted food intake can reduce the lifespan.Being underweight, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) below 18.5, is associated with malnutrition and a range of health conditions that can lower life expectancy. These include reduced immune system function, digestive conditions, and cancer.See full list on healthline.comBeing able to live for days and weeks with no food and water seems inconceivable to many of us. After all, a daylong fast or even an hours-long stretch without food and water can make many of us irritable and low on energy. Your body actually adjusts itself if you engage in a short-term fast or are unable to access food and water for very long stretches of time.For this reason, adults without health conditions are usually able to engage in religious fasts and even try “fasting” diets like the eat-stop-eat approach while continuing their regular daily activities.It takes about 24 hours without eating for your body to change how it produces energy. Under normal circumstances, your body breaks down food into glucose. The glucose provides energy to the body.During the first 24 hours without food, as your glucose storage is depleted, your body will begin to convert glycogen from your liver and muscles into glucose. See full list on healthline.comWith adequate water intake, some people have survived with no food for weeks or even several months. Survival time is longer with water intake because the body has much more in its reserves to replace food than fluid. Your kidney function will diminish within a few days without proper hydration. One 1997 commentary that looked at hunger strikes suggested that a person needs to drink about 1.5 liters of water a day to survive starvation for a longer period of time. The author also suggested adding up to half a teaspoon of salt a day to the water.See full list on healthline.comDepending on the specifics, reports suggest that some people can survive starvation for days or weeks. However, during starvation, your body’s many systems will begin to deteriorate.The effects of starvation may include:•faintness•dizziness•cognitive changes•low blood pressureSee full list on healthline.comHow long can you go without eating?Estimates based on events when people have been trapped or buried suggest you can survive without food between 8 and 21 days. In 1981, hunger strikers in the Maze Prison, Belfast, died after 45–61 days of not eating food.What happens if you don’t eat for 7 days but drink water?During the first 5 days of not eating any food, a person may lose 2.2–4.4 pounds per day. If you don’t eat for 4 days you may also experience faintness and dizziness. Once a person loses 10% of their body weight or has a BMI of 16.5 or less, complications due to starvation may begin. Experts commenting on hunger strikes recommend close observation after 10 days of not eating if a person’s original body weight is unknown.Can a person live 30 days without food?Yes, it’s possible someone may live 30 days without food, although very unlikely. Some records suggest people have survived up to 61 days, although usually, most live 8 to 21 days.See full list on healthline.comHuman bodies are fairly resilient. In some circumstances, the body can function for days or weeks without proper food and water, but there are risks.People who have experienced starvation may have long-term health effects, and starvation eventually becomes fatal.See full list on healthline.comDec 13, 2025 · Key Takeaways You can survive 2 to 3 months without food if you have water. Without food and water, survival time drops to about one week. Water intake, sex, age, and health status affect survival time without food. · Learn how long humans cansurvivewithoutfood, water, or air plus timelines for elderly, hospice care, dementia. Most research and observations indicate that, given access to water, an ordinary person may survive anywhere between one and two months without eating. The precise length depends on age, health condition, body fat percentage, and degree of hydration. · Without water and food, a person cannot survive for more than four or five days. The body often finds alternate ways to generate energy during starvation and prolong life for a certain period. When deprived of food but with access to water, most healthy adults can survive between 30 to 70 days. However, this duration isn't universal and depends heavily on various individual factors. During this period, the body undergoes several physiological changes to preserve life as long as possible. · Key Takeaways You can survive 2 to 3 months without food if you have water. Without food and water, survival time drops to about one week. Water intake, sex, age, and health status affect survival time without food. · Learn how long humans cansurvivewithoutfood, water, or air plus timelines for elderly, hospice care, dementia. Most research and observations indicate that, given access to water, an ordinary person may survive anywhere between one and two months without eating. The precise length depends on age, health condition, body fat percentage, and degree of hydration. · Without water and food, a person cannot survive for more than four or five days. The body often finds alternate ways to generate energy during starvation and prolong life for a certain period. When deprived of food but with access to water, most healthy adults can survive between 30 to 70 days. However, this duration isn't universal and depends heavily on various individual factors. During this period, the body undergoes several physiological changes to preserve life as long as possible. · Learn how long humans cansurvivewithoutfood, water, or air plus timelines for elderly, hospice care, dementia. Most research and observations indicate that, given access to water, an ordinary person may survive anywhere between one and two months without eating. The precise length depends on age, health condition, body fat percentage, and degree of hydration. · Without water and food, a person cannot survive for more than four or five days. The body often finds alternate ways to generate energy during starvation and prolong life for a certain period. When deprived of food but with access to water, most healthy adults can survive between 30 to 70 days. However, this duration isn't universal and depends heavily on various individual factors. During this period, the body undergoes several physiological changes to preserve life as long as possible.
