Is intermittent fasting good for you? Facts vs hype

Fasting is cut off: If you don’t do it yourself, you might know someone. This diet trend has captured headlines and attention of people who want to reduce pounds quickly for several years now.

However, while intermittent fasting shows benefits, new research has doubted whether it is appropriate for everyone.

The risk of a frightening heart in the news

For example, the release of news published last year after the American heart association meeting reported several findings that have the potential about, that, that people who follow the 8-hour eating schedule are limited to time, a type of intermittent fasting, has a risk of 91% higher than the death of heart disease.

That is compared to people who follow the standard schedule, eat in the range of 12 to 16 hours a day.

Ara Maranian, MD, a heart expert at UVA Health who is specialized in treating heart disease, breaks down what you should know about whether to decide whether intermittent fasting is good for you or not.

What is intermittent fasting?

In short, intermittent fasting follows the schedule where you take turns between eating and not eating for a certain time.

Although there is a lot of space for interpretation around the loose definition, most of the time, when you hear someone talking about the intermittent fasting, they talk about a time-limited eating plan. You can only eat between 10 am and 6 pm, for example, and fast for other hours. Or you can choose a different window that works better with your life and schedule.

There is also a more intense form of intermittent fasting, such as the 5: 2 approach, where you eat normally for 5 days a week and drastically limit your diet to the other 2.

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

#1 Ease

One of the biggest benefits of intermittent fasting is relatively easy to do. You simply identify your fasting window, set an alarm or choose another way to remind yourself when to start, and committed to following the plan. For many people, it is a much more interesting choice than continuing to calculate calories.

#2 less calories

Another main benefit, of course, is that people who follow the broken fasting plan -often consume less calories just because they have less time to eat.

For people who struggle with their weight, Maranian said that reducing the number of calories you take is always a good idea. You only need to make sure you do it in a continuous way. “We want people to eat a balanced and healthy diet but in the size of the portion that brings their weight to a healthy reach and then support that weight,” he said.

Health Benefits #3

So far, research has found health benefits from intermittent fasting also includes:

• Increase blood sugar
• Less inflammation
• Lower blood pressure
• Lower cholesterol

Counter intermittent fasting

#1 fasting can make you fussy

Fasting can have different effects on different people. This might not be the best choice for everyone.

“If you tend to get ‘Hangry,’ for example, it might not be a good choice for your family and coworkers,” Maranian said.

Some people can experience headaches, difficulty sleeping, and dehydration when they fast.

#2 Lack of research

Intermittent fasting also requires more studies to confirm the benefits, continuing Maranian. This study shows an increased risk of heart death for people who eat less than 8 hours a day, for example, is a retrospective study based on a survey.

“That means it must be taken with a salt,” he said. “Random, prospective trials must be carried out to confirm this. In the study, eating that is limited to time does not increase death when calculating all causes.”

#3 Unhealthy fasting for everyone

Some people shouldn’t try intermittent fasting at all. These include:

• Children
• Pregnant women
• Diabetics
• Older adults
• People with irregular meal history

So … is intermittent fasting good for you? Takeaway

Maranian appoints a study that shows the day of fasting alternately with days that are not fasting (such as the 5: 2 method) have the same effect on weight loss by only reducing calories. Likewise, he said, there is no big difference between fasting that is limited to time and only cuts total calories.

“Intermittent fasting can be effective for weight loss because it reduces total calorie intake during a 24 hour period, but it is not always better than other diet that reduces calories,” he said.

Maranian suggested to consider eating that is limited to time as one of the many weight loss strategies that can be successful if done correctly.

“If you are interested in intermittent fasting, you must discuss it with your doctor,” he said.