Interval fasting is an alternation of periods of normal food intake and fasting at long intervals. Until 2019, nothing was known about the long-term effects of interval fasting. Now, scientists have studied the trend of weight loss more carefully and compared the results in studies.
Does interval fasting help you lose weight?
Interval fasting helps to lose weight better than regular diets. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center recently came to this conclusion. Countless popular guides promise weight loss without the yo-yo effect.
Supporters also believe that a person has long-term changes in metabolism and, consequently, improves health.
The German Nutrition Society warns, however, that interval fasting is not suitable for constant weight control.
There is no evidence-based research on the long-term effects of diet.
There are only a few small studies on interval fasting, which show a surprisingly positive effect on the metabolism in the body. The results obtained by scientists stimulated other specialists to find the mechanism of action of the diet.
How did scientists identify a positive effect?
In a French study, 150 overweight and obese patients experienced various types of starvation for one year. They were divided into three groups at the beginning of the study.
1 group fed for 12 weeks on a regular diet with a 20% reduction in calories.
2 group adhered to an interval diet of 5: 2, with the help of which they also reduced the consumption of 20% of calories for the whole week. The control group did not adhere to a specific diet plan.
After the diet, scientists recorded the weight and health status of the study participants for another 38 weeks. The result can be as encouraging as disappointing for fans of interval fasting. Because, as HELENA researchers found, their health improved as a result of both diets. All patients lost body weight.
The change in the distribution of fat in the body of the participants was accurately determined using special MRI. The good news is that even a small diet provides great health benefits. Patients who reduce body weight by only 5% lose about 20% of dangerous belly fat.
Scientists also found a curious effect: in participants who adhered to interval fasting, circadian rhythms returned to normal.
New studies have prompted scientists to find out the root cause of the unknown phenomenon.
How does fasting normalize human circadian rhythms?
The authors of the new study were interested in learning how fasting affects circadian rhythms in the liver and skeletal muscle. Researchers published their findings in the journal Cell.
Starvation is a natural occurrence for most animals, because food is not always available.
In difficult times, certain changes occur that allow the body to adapt to a lack of food.
With a lack of sugar, the liver begins to produce ketones from fatty acids, which the body uses as energy. Many factors control these metabolic changes. They, however, also affect circadian rhythms.
Do other similar studies come to the same conclusion?
A Spanish study divided mice into two groups. The first one ate normal food, while the second at regular intervals. Both groups consumed the same amount of fat and calories. Mice that received food at long intervals were less likely to develop visceral obesity.
Scientists believe that following certain cycles has a positive effect on human organ systems.
The latest study also involved mice. While animals adhered to 24-hour periods of fasting, scientists measured various physiological functions.
They saw that mice consumed less oxygen and energy during fasting. However, as soon as the mice had eaten, these gene physiological changes were reversed. Positive changes have also been observed regarding sleep quality and mental well-being.
