Nobel Prize in Medicine. What does autophagy mean in practice?

Cell biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi received the Nobel Prize in Medicine in December 2016 for his discovery in autophagy. According to his research, disturbed autophagy is causally linked to various chronic diseases. From the chronic inflammatory diseases of the intestines, the nervous and vascular system to the obstruction of oxygen transport into the cell to the disruption of the mitochondrial function, destructive influences are known that go back to the disrupted regulation of autophagy. Fasting or "calorie restriction" or also a diet and sport with a strong reduction in carbohydrates lead to the activation of autophagy and thus to the causal improvement of many chronic diseases.