A pioneering study published in the journal Nature Medicine on the benefits of intermittent fasting revealed that not eating anything from 5 PM until 9 AM the following day helps to a greater extent improve blood sugar regulation and reduce abdominal subcutaneous fat.
The prevalence of obesity and overweight has become so rampant that it has been declared a global epidemic. The worldwide prevalence of obesity has tripled since 1975 according to the World Health Organization, with 16% of adults aged 18 and older and 8% of children between the ages of 5-19 living with obesity in 2022. This results in more than 1 billion people around the world being obese, making it the most common form of malnutrition in most countries.
Carrying around extra weight is associated with several metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes, and hypertension, and exponentially increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease as well as certain forms of cancer. The extra weight not only impacts quality of life but represents a serious challenge for public health systems.
Research has shown that caloric restriction diets help with weight loss and improve cardiovascular health. However, this type of diet is often not sustainable in the long term, leading to people regaining any lost weight, sometimes along with a few extra pounds. New nutritional strategies are emerging, one of the most promising being intermittent fasting, which consists of alternating periods of eating windows with periods of fasting.
In a controlled, randomized multicenter study led by the University of Granada and other institutions, scientists investigated the effects of a 12-week intervention period among 197 participants across three different intermittent fasting regimes:
- Early fasting (eating window: 9:00-17:00)
- Late fasting (eating window: 14:00-22:00)
- Self-selected fasting (average eating window: 12 AM to 8 PM)
All participants received nutritional education on the Mediterranean Diet and healthy lifestyles. The results showed that while intermittent fasting did not provide additional benefits over the nutritional education for reducing visceral fat, those in intermittent fasting groups achieved greater overall weight loss (average 3-4 kg). Participants in the early fasting group notably experienced reduced abdominal subcutaneous fat.
The findings suggest that the early fasting regime may be particularly beneficial in optimizing glucose regulation, helping to prevent diabetes and improve metabolic health. Not eating at night gives the body more time to digest nutrients and manage blood glucose levels, reducing risks associated with sugar-related health issues.
Therefore, intermittent fasting should be viewed as a safe and promising strategy for weight management and improving cardiovascular health among obese or overweight individuals, as well as enhancing the effectiveness of nutritional interventions.
As with any wellness routine, always consult your doctor or primary care provider before making changes. This information should not be construed as medical advice.
Source: WorldHealth.net
