A type of intermittent fasting that calls for eating nothing one day, and then whatever a person wants the next, can be done safely for several months and comes with a number of health benefits, a study has found.
Alternate day fasting improved cardiovascular markers, reducing blood pressure and heart rate after four weeks, researchers reported in Cell Metabolism on Tuesday. People who followed the plan for six months also had lower levels of LDL “bad” cholesterol and triglycerides compared to those who ate normally.
Overall, they ate about 37% fewer calories, lost weight and had an “improved fat distribution,” reducing the fat in their trunk and abdomen by about 14% on average.
Researchers saw no adverse effects from alternate day fasting even after six months, concluding the strategy seems to be as beneficial as daily calorie restriction, but easier to stick with.
Humans can easily tolerate skipping food for an entire day, said Dr. Thomas Pieber, one of the study authors and chair of the department of internal medicine at the Medical University of Graz in Austria.
“The truth is that our organism is ready to fast for much longer,” Pieber told TODAY. “Ten thousand or 100,000 years ago, we didn’t have breakfast, lunch and dinner and some cake in-between with our coffee. (...)
Besides shedding weight and fat, the people who fasted had beneficial cardiovascular changes and showed reduced levels of an age-associated inflammatory marker, the study found.
At the same time, alternate day fasting didn’t cause a decline in bone mineral density or white blood cell count the way continuous calorie restriction has been shown to do in previous studies.
One reason fasting may be so beneficial for the human body is that it can activate autophagy, a mechanism that helps to regenerate cells, Pieber said. (...)
Tips for trying alternate day fasting:
by A. Pawlowski, Today | Read more:
Image: via
[ed. I've been doing this for years (IBS), and it's no big deal. Once your appetite shrinks you don't even think about it. In fact, it amazes me how much time, effort and expense people devote to shopping, preparing and eating three meals a day. I'm still the same weight I was in high school.]
Alternate day fasting improved cardiovascular markers, reducing blood pressure and heart rate after four weeks, researchers reported in Cell Metabolism on Tuesday. People who followed the plan for six months also had lower levels of LDL “bad” cholesterol and triglycerides compared to those who ate normally.
Overall, they ate about 37% fewer calories, lost weight and had an “improved fat distribution,” reducing the fat in their trunk and abdomen by about 14% on average.
Researchers saw no adverse effects from alternate day fasting even after six months, concluding the strategy seems to be as beneficial as daily calorie restriction, but easier to stick with.Humans can easily tolerate skipping food for an entire day, said Dr. Thomas Pieber, one of the study authors and chair of the department of internal medicine at the Medical University of Graz in Austria.
“The truth is that our organism is ready to fast for much longer,” Pieber told TODAY. “Ten thousand or 100,000 years ago, we didn’t have breakfast, lunch and dinner and some cake in-between with our coffee. (...)
Besides shedding weight and fat, the people who fasted had beneficial cardiovascular changes and showed reduced levels of an age-associated inflammatory marker, the study found.
At the same time, alternate day fasting didn’t cause a decline in bone mineral density or white blood cell count the way continuous calorie restriction has been shown to do in previous studies.
One reason fasting may be so beneficial for the human body is that it can activate autophagy, a mechanism that helps to regenerate cells, Pieber said. (...)
Tips for trying alternate day fasting:
- Always check with your doctor first. This eating regimen may not be right for people with type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease, Baum said.
- Try skipping breakfast and lunch, but keeping dinner at first to ease into the regimen, and then expanding to a full 24-hour fast, Pieber recommended.
- Some people prefer a modified version of alternate day fasting where they stick to 500 calories one day, then still eat anything they want the next. In this version, go for at least 50 grams of protein on fasting days to help keep hunger at bay, Varady suggested. A good option may be a salad with beans or some chicken.
- Don’t drink any sweetened beverages on fasting days, even if they contain artificial sweetener, because the sweet taste can cause hunger, Pieber noted. Water is best, though black coffee or tea also works. But don’t overdo it: being hungry and caffeinated can be a terrible combination, Baum cautioned. Hot beverages can help curb hunger, Varady noted.
- Pieber, who fasts himself, doesn’t recommend exercising during the first week people try the plan. But it’s fine after that, he said. “After some weeks, you are even more energetic when you exercise on a fasting day versus the non-fasting day,” he said. But Baum urged caution: If you’re fasting and burning calories during a workout, you could feel weak. (...)
“There are decades of research showing that eating fewer calories is better for health and living longer,” Baum said. “You need to find something that works. Weight loss is not a one-size-fits-all prescription.”
by A. Pawlowski, Today | Read more:
Image: via
[ed. I've been doing this for years (IBS), and it's no big deal. Once your appetite shrinks you don't even think about it. In fact, it amazes me how much time, effort and expense people devote to shopping, preparing and eating three meals a day. I'm still the same weight I was in high school.]
