Two serious drawbacks found for intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting without reducing the total caloric intake of the diet does not have a noticeable effect on cardiovascular health indicators and the level of blood glucose control. This conclusion was reached by specialists from the German Institute of Human Nutrition in Potsdam-Rehbrücke (DIfE). This is reported by BAKU.WS with reference to the journal Science Translational Medicine.

The study involved 31 women with overweight or obesity. For two weeks, participants adhered to a time-restricted eating regimen. The first group consumed food from 8:00 to 16:00, and the second - from 13:00 to 21:00. At the same time, the overall composition and caloric content of the diet in both groups were almost identical.

In laboratory conditions, blood samples were taken from women and glucose tolerance tests were conducted to assess the characteristics of carbohydrate and fat metabolism. Unlike a number of previous works, this study did not reveal significant improvements in insulin sensitivity, glucose levels, blood lipid content, or markers of inflammation.

Also, no noticeable improvements in cardiovascular health indicators were recorded.

According to study co-author, Professor Olga Ramich, the positive results recorded earlier were most likely associated with an unintended reduction in the caloric content of the diet, rather than with reducing the time window for eating. Therefore, those who seek to reduce weight or improve metabolism should pay attention not only to the time of eating but also to the overall energy value of the diet.