A study has found that intermittent fasting is no better for weight loss than a 'traditional' diet. Researchers from John Hopkins University have published the results of a trial involving people with obesity and prediabetes.
The scientists gave the participants in the group prepared meals with the same nutrients and instructions on when to eat them. Some of the group were only allowed to eat during a 10-hour window, to simulate intermittent fasting.
The trial ran for 12 weeks, and at the end both groups were reported to have lost roughly the same amount of weight.
There were also no significant differences in blood glucose between the two groups - or in waist circumference or blood pressure.
The study's authors said the results suggest that weight loss from traditional dieting and intermittent fasting both appear to come from calorie reduction - rather than from any additional impact fasting has on the body. Some claim fasting triggers a response in your body which improves health, reduces inflammation, boosts the gut and cuts the risks of things such as heart attack and strokes as well as diabetes.
But they also said that fasting is useful as it allows dieters to keep eating familiar foods and it helps people who do not want to count calories while dieting. Earlier studies have shown that restricting your eating to a four to 10-hour window every day naturally cuts the number of calories you eat by between 200 and 550.
Intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. Unlike traditional diets that focus on what foods to eat, intermittent fasting focuses on when to eat. There are several popular methods of intermittent fasting, but the most common ones include:
16/8 method : This involves fasting for 16 hours each day and restricting your eating window to 8 hours. For example, you might skip breakfast and only eat between 12 pm and 8 pm.
5:2 diet : This involves eating normally for five days of the week and restricting calorie intake to around 500-600 calories on the remaining two days.
Alternate-day fasting : This involves alternating between days of regular eating and days of fasting or consuming very few calories (usually around 500 calories).
Intermittent fasting is claimed to work by tapping into the body's natural processes of fasting and feasting. During the fasting period, the body doesn't have a recent meal to use as energy, so it starts to burn stored fat for fuel instead. This is reported to lead to weight loss, as the body is using fat stores for energy.
Additionally, intermittent fasting has been reported to have several other potential health benefits, including:
Improved insulin sensitivity : Intermittent fasting is reported to help lower blood sugar levels and improve insulin resistance, which may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Weight loss : By reducing calorie intake and promoting fat burning, intermittent fasting can help people lose weight and belly fat.
Cellular repair and autophagy : Fasting is claimed to trigger autophagy, a process in which cells remove dysfunctional components and repair themselves. This may have anti-aging effects and reduce the risk of certain diseases.
Brain health : Some studies suggest that intermittent fasting may improve brain function, increase the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and protect against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
Heart health : Intermittent fasting may improve various risk factors for heart disease, including blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglycerides, and inflammatory markers.
