What do you know about the benefits of intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a type of eating pattern that involves intervals of 12–36 hours without food. Many proponents of intermittent fasting claim that it helps them lose weight.
Many intermittent fasting research is being conducted on animals, but some of the advantages may also apply to people.
Intermittent fasting has been linked to several health advantages, according to research:
- weight loss
- Improved health indicators lowered the likelihood of chronic illness.
- increased mental well-being
The top five possible advantages of intermittent fasting will be discussed in this article, along with the research that backs them up.
1. Weight loss
Intermittent fasting can help you lose weight by decreasing your insulin levels.
Carbohydrates are broken down by the body into glucose, which cells utilize for energy or store as fat for later use. Insulin is a hormone that makes it possible for cells to absorb glucose.
When a person does not eat, their insulin levels drop. It’s conceivable that lower insulin levels lead cells to release their glucose reserves as energy during a fasting phase.
Weight reduction may be achieved by repeating this technique regularly, similar to intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting can also lead to a reduction in overall calorie consumption, which can help with weight loss.
What are the results of research studies?
A comprehensive analysis published in the journal Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology in 2015looked at data from40distinct intermittent fasting trials. The researchers concluded that it can help people lose weight.
Over a year, a study published in 2017Trusted Source evaluated the effects of intermittent fasting and a traditional calorie restriction diet on weight reduction. Both types of diets were equally successful in losing weight. Other health indicators, such as blood pressure and heart rate, showed no significant changes between the two groups.
According to the latest study, intermittent fasting may be an effective weight-loss method. Intermittent fasting is unlikely to be more helpful than regular calorie restriction, but some people may find it simpler.
2. A reduced chance of developing type 2 diabetes
Intermittent fasting may also help with diabetes prevention by aiding weight reduction and perhaps influencing other variables associated with a higher risk of diabetes.
One of the primary risk factors for type 2 diabetes is being overweight or obese.
What are the results of research studies?
Evidence that intermittent fasting can reduce blood glucose and insulin levels in persons at risk of diabetes was addressed in a review study published in the journal Translational Research in 2014.
Intermittent fasting or alternate-day fasting, according to scientists, appears to promise weight loss and lower diabetes risk. However, additional research is required.
The researchers discovered lower levels of diabetes indicators, such as insulin sensitivity, among overweight and obese people.
As a consequence, they hypothesize that intermittent fasting may reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes in this population.
3. Improved cardiovascular health
Researchers have also demonstrated that intermittent fasting benefits elements of cardiovascular health.
What are the results of research studies?
Intermittent fasting has been shown to lower blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol, and triglycerides in both people and animals, according to a 2016Trusted Source assessment. Triglycerides are a kind of fat found in the blood that has been linked to cardiovascular disease.
4. Improved brain health
Intermittent fasting has been found to enhance brain function in mouse studies.
What are the results of research studies?
Mice on a brief intermittent fasting diet had greater learning and memory than mice with unfettered access to food, according to one research.
Intermittent fasting has been shown in animals to reduce inflammation in the brain, which has been linked to neurological disorders.
In another animal research study Intermittent fasting, according to Trusted Source, can lower the risk of neurological diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and stroke.
More study is needed to see if these findings apply to humans.
5. Cancer risk is lowered
Intermittent fasting has also been shown in animal experiments to lower the incidence of cancer.
What are the results of research studies?
Restrictive diets, such as intermittent fasting, have been shown in several recent animal experiments to postpone the formation of cancers. However, no research in people has found a connection between intermittent fasting and cancer.
Intermittent fasting can also lower insulin levels and inflammation, two biological processes linked to cancer.
Intermittent fasting appears to have the potential to decrease cancer risk. However, the further human study is needed to back up this assertion
In general, research shows that intermittent fasting is just as successful as standard calorie restriction in terms of weight loss and body fat reduction. It may also be easier to follow than standard weight-loss techniques like calorie restriction.
Because intermittent fasting is associated with weight reduction, the lowered cancer risk that some studies suggest may be due to this factor.
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