- Research on metabolic syndrome suggests that fasting may improve blood sugar control and lead to more fat loss.
- There is evidence that intermittent fasting can help you eat less without cutting back on calories.
- If you're interested in the benefits of fasting, some researchers recommend fasting for 12 hours overnight.
Eating all your meals and snacks within an 8-10 hour window each day may help you lose weight and improve blood sugar control, new research suggests.
The study results, published Sept. 30 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, add to a growing body of evidence that intermittent fasting has promising health benefits, especially for people looking to address their metabolic health. This will further strengthen the system.
Intermittent fasting is a very popular diet method, often promoted by celebrities, longevity influencers, and executives. The idea is that it's not just what you eat that matters, but when you eat it. Proponents limit all food intake to certain times each day. This depends on what style of fasting you follow.
A new study shows that people who fasted for three months lost more weight than those who didn't fast and ate fewer calories without even trying.
Here are the details:
Research description
A team of researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Salk Institute wanted to test whether fasting could help people with metabolic syndrome, a collection of risk factors for chronic disease. This condition includes high blood sugar and high levels of body fat, which increases your chances of developing heart disease and diabetes.
Researchers followed 108 adults with metabolic syndrome, on average in their 50s, for three months.
Half of the participants were randomly assigned Try to follow typical eating patterns, along with general nutritional advice for healthy eating, such as taking inspiration from the Mediterranean diet.
The other half were given the same advice, but told to limit their eating hours to eight to 10 hours a day and track their meals with a smartphone app called myCircadianClock.
By the end of the study, both groups lost a small amount of weight. However, the participants who practiced intermittent fasting lost a little more weight, and because much of the weight they lost was fat rather than muscle, their body fat percentage decreased more.
They also had significantly better blood sugar control and HbA1c, a measure of average blood sugar levels over time used to screen for diabetes and prediabetes.
Experts say fasting helps by eating less.
The science behind fasting suggests that it's effective because it allows you to eat less.
The data showed that the fasting group in the latest study ate an average of 350 fewer calories each day, even though they weren't specifically asked to cut back on calories. Most of the calorie reduction comes from reducing carbohydrate and fat intake. They consumed about the same amount of protein.
Evidence so far suggests that consuming enough protein can help maintain muscle during weight loss. This may be why the participants in this study maintained muscle mass, while other studies have found that some types of fasting can carry the risk of muscle loss.
To get the benefits of fasting, stop eating at night
Another potential benefit of fasting is that it helps take advantage of the body's natural internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm, said Satchidananda Panda, a pioneer in fasting research and co-author of the latest study. he previously told Business Insider.
Panda and other experts say the easiest way to start reaping the benefits of fasting is to stop eating three hours before bed.
This simple 12-hour fast can also help improve your health and reduce the likelihood of snacking on junk food.