What is intermittent fasting? A look at its potential health benefits
Global News
Intermittent fasting, which is time-restricted eating, is among a growing number of weight loss regimes that have risen in popularity.
Intermittent fasting is among a growing number of weight loss regimes that have risen in popularity in recent years.
The idea is to restrict your daily eating period to a window — usually eight hours — without counting your calorie consumption, and then fast the rest of the day.
Another variation is the alternate-day-fasting approach in which you restrict yourself to 500 calories every other day and then eat as much as you want the next day.
“So basically, all it’s doing is lowering our food intake and that leads to weight loss,” said Krista Varady, a professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois Chicago. She has published several studies on intermittent fasting.
If people with obesity strictly adhere to intermittent fasting, it can generally result in losing up to 50 pounds, Varady told Global News in an interview, with most of that weight loss coming from fat mass and belly fat. For others, they may not lose any weight at all.
But there is growing research that suggests intermittent fasting not only helps people shed pounds but can also lower blood pressure and “bad” cholesterol.
It has also been shown to be a safe diet intervention for people with Type 2 diabetes.
A peer-reviewed study published in the JAMA Network Open Friday showed that time-restricted eating between noon and 8 p.m. helped Type 2 diabetes patients lose weight and lower their blood sugar levels.
