What did they test?

Intermittent fasting, which allows you to lose weight without giving up any food, is gaining in popularity. This dieting system involves giving up food completely at certain times of the day and eating without restriction for the rest of the day. There are different modes of intermittent fasting, but the most popular is 6 hours of eating/18 hours of fasting and 4 hours of eating/20 hours of fasting.

Although more and more people are resorting to this type of weight loss, there has been very little scientific research to support its effectiveness or to help choose the optimal weight loss regimen. Researchers from the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition at the University of Illinois have performed research to get answers.

Who participated?

A total of 48 adult volunteers of both genders who were severely obese participated in the experiment, which lasted eight weeks. They were divided into three groups. Participants in the first group were instructed to eat from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., and the second group from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The third group was instructed to eat the same foods without any time restriction. All subjects received the same dietary recommendations. They were given the following instructions:

• Eat anything at the allotted time
• Do not watch the caloric content of the diet
• Drink plenty of water and consume black tea, coffee, and diet soda during fasting periods

In addition, participants were asked not to change their physical activity or dietary habits, and to visit the clinic regularly for weigh-ins and blood pressure measurements.

What were the results?

Studies showed that both interval fasting regimens were equally effective. Over eight weeks, participants in the experiment lost 3 % of their body weight. Their diets, regardless of the dietary regimen chosen, decreased by about 550 kilocalories per day. The sensitivity of tissues to insulin and oxidative stress improved in both groups to the same degree.

However, no significant difference was found in cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure levels when compared with the control group. In other words, intermittent fasting had little effect on most cardiovascular risk markers. This could be, as the authors of the study believe because the experiment was not long enough to affect these indicators.

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413120303193

25 November 2022