Intermittent fasting (IF) is a pattern of eating that is most misconstrued among persons who consume contents on healthy living.
This type of fasting involves alternating periods of fasting and eating.
Here, eating pattern includes hours or days of no or minimal food consumption without deprivation of essential nutrients.
You see, there is the need to always remember that your body needs nutrients to stay healthy.
Commonly studied regimens include alternate day fasting, 5:2 intermittent fasting (fasting two days each week), and daily time-restricted feeding (1).
Some persons who practice this intermittent fasting eat only during a six-hour window.
Really, there are several different ways to practice IF.
But the most common approaches involve fasting for 16-24 hours at a time, once or twice a week, or restricting calorie intake to a certain window of time each day.
Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting
There are several benefits of intermittent fasting that studies have identified.
Here are some potential health benefits.
1 Intermittent Fasting Aids Weight Loss
Intermittent fasting can help with weight loss by reducing calorie intake and increasing fat burning.
Studies have shown that people who practice IF lose more weight and belly fat than those who follow a traditional low-calorie diet (1).
However, it is common to see people who engage in this form of fasting grab high calorie foods afterwards. Unfortunately, they regain every calories they had lost.
2. Reduces Risk Of Developing Diabetes
Furthermore, intermittent fasting can help improve insulin sensitivity. This is the body’s ability to use insulin to regulate blood sugar levels.
This can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (2).
3. Reduces Inflammation
Also, people battling inflammation can use this form of fasting to normalise this vital aspect of human’s immune activity.
An uncontrolled inflammation level in the body could trigger a variety of chronic diseases.
Studies say this form of fasting can increase stress resistance and suppress inflammation (3).
4. Improves Heart Health
Intermittent fasting can improve various markers of heart health, such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglycerides.
A study says this fasting type lowers bad cholesterol level. Bad cholesterol, and excess sugar in the blood increases risk of heart disease.
According to the 2020 study, fasting improves various cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol (4).
5. Increased Longevity
Although, there are no randomised controlled human trials regarding longevity and intermittent fasting, there are evidences on the cellular level.
For instance, a study found that on the cellular level, the human skin fibroblasts in people observing this kind of fast had longer lifespans (5).
According to the study, the group additionally retained their youthful morphology while the controls developed a senescent morphology, which is associated with a smaller, thinner appearance.
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In conclusion, the study in human fibroblasts suggests that intermittent fasting could delay aging at the cellular level.
6. Better Brain Function
Anything that will benefit your brain is an amazing thing to try.
According to a senior investigator for the National Institute on Aging, part of the US National Institutes of Health, Mark Mattson, there are protective benefits of fasting to neurons.
He concluded after a study that “if you don’t eat for 10–16 hours, your body will go to its fat stores for energy, and fatty acids called ketones will be released into the bloodstream.
“This has been shown to protect memory and learning functionality” (6).
7. Intermittent Fasting Reduces Risk Of Cancer
Sadly, there is a growing number of cancer cases and deaths and this is something that could help.
Some studies suggest that this form of fasting may reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, although more research is needed to confirm this (7) (8) (9).
Overall, intermittent fasting can be a safe and effective way to improve various aspects of health.
However, it may not be appropriate for everyone, particularly those with certain medical conditions or who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
It is always best to consult with your physician before starting any new diet or exercise regimen.