- Intermittent fasting has gained popularity in recent years as a healthy diet.
- There has been much debate within the scientific community about whether intermittent fasting is healthy or not.
- Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have debunked four myths about intermittent fasting to dispel common misconceptions.
Intermittent fasting has gained popularity in recent years as a healthy diet that can help some people maintain a healthy weight.
There has been a lot of debate in the scientific community about whether or not intermittent fasting (IF) is a healthy diet to follow.
For example, previous studies report that intermittent fasting can cause
Now a
Krista Varady, PhD, professor of kinesiology and nutrition at the University of Illinois at Chicago and lead author of the study, said: Medical News Today:
“Intermittent fasting can be a powerful tool to help people lose weight and improve their overall health. I think there are a lot of misconceptions about this diet because it asks people to take a break from their diet every once in a while. We wrote this article to show that intermittent fasting is safe and produces many health benefits without many negative side effects. »
For this study, Varady and his team analyzed results from previous studies to disprove four common myths about intermittent fasting and found that intermittent fasting:
- does not lead to poor nutrition
- does not cause eating disorders
- does not cause excessive loss of lean muscle mass
- does not affect sex hormones
“I’ve been studying intermittent fasting for 20 years and I’m constantly asked if it’s safe,” Varady said. “I’ve noticed there’s a lot of misinformation out there (on social media, websites, etc.). We wrote this article to highlight that these ideas are not based on science; they’re just personal opinions.”
“I wasn’t surprised by these results,” she continued. “Because I’ve been studying intermittent fasting for so long, I knew these misconceptions were false. We wrote this paper to show the science that supports these myths not being true.”
Varady said she thinks these findings will help doctors and dietitians feel more confident when prescribing intermittent fasting to their patients.
“They can use this article to understand that many of the common myths around the safety of intermittent fasting are not based on scientific research,” she noted. “Intermittent fasting is overall a safe dietary therapy for weight loss in a variety of patient groups.”
A person following an intermittent fasting diet has periods during the day or week where they fast completely or consume a very small amount of calories.
For example, someone following the 16:8 method would fast for 16 hours and eat for 8 hours each day. If they were following the 12:12 plan, they would fast for 12 hours—essentially overnight—and have a 12-hour eating window during the day. The 5:2 intermittent fasting plan involves eating normal amounts of food five days a week, then eating only 500 to 600 calories two days a week.
After reviewing this study, Mir Ali, MD, board-certified bariatric surgeon and medical director of the MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California, said: MNT He was not surprised by his findings.
“What I’ve found in people who do intermittent fasting and it works for them is that they don’t seem to have a lot of problems – they don’t worry about malnutrition, or muscle loss ” Ali explained. “As long as they’re doing the right things and that’s true for any type of diet or exercise program, you still need to get the nutrition your body needs to maintain muscle and prevent vitamin and other losses.”
“For some people it works really well and you have to try different methods. (For) some people, fasting for 10 or 12 hours a day is what works for them, others would see an alternate day fast. So there’s not one thing that works for everyone; it’s more about trying what fits their needs and their lifestyle.”
— Dr. Mir Ali, bariatric surgeon
Monique Richard, a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Nutrition-In-Sight, pointed out that research studies are limited in their ability to take results into account and provide broad generalizations for each person. Richard was not involved in this study.
“We are each singular and while many observations can be made for the general public, or the majority, there will always be outliers to which the information does not apply, or applies differently,” explained Richard has MNT. “The goal here is to understand the nuance of what is being said, what is being tested, what is being applied to a sample of someone: you.
“Therefore, the most helpful recommendation in determining whether intermittent fasting would be safe, beneficial, and conducive to overall health would be to work with a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) or other qualified nutrition professional and your healthcare team” , she continued.
“An RDN takes into account an individual’s goals, but also digs deeper to understand how the individual’s current health, activity level, genetics, nutritional and energy needs, and lifestyle factors may play a role in the whole.”
“For many people, for many reasons (blood sugar regulation, mental clarity, energy, nutritional needs, satisfaction, fulfillment, pleasure, social connection), intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating work well. However, the quality, composition and frequency of what is consumed must always be appropriately assessed and prioritized. Variations of intermittent fasting are not “free cheat days” because it can be counterproductive to health, optimal digestion, absorption, and organ function, including psychological and cognitive health. »
— Monique Richard, certified dietitian-nutritionist