No miracles for those who hoped to lose weight without a diet. Popular intermittent fasting does not work without a calorie deficit
Intermittent fasting has become a real hit in recent years: many believe that if you only eat at certain times, for example, from 8 am to 4 pm, then excess weight will disappear on its own, and health will improve. However, a new serious study shows that this does not work.
This is reported by the Telegram channel Cybulinka with reference to a publication in the authoritative journal Science Translational Medicine.
Scientists from the German Institute of Human Nutrition and the Charité clinic concluded: limiting meal times by itself does not bring any benefits for metabolism and the heart if you do not reduce the total number of calories.
How the experiment was conducted
Previously, it was believed that the popular "8/16" scheme (where a person eats for 8 hours and fasts for 16 hours) reduces the risk of obesity, improves insulin sensitivity, and normalizes blood sugar.
But the problem with earlier observations was that scientists could not understand: do the improvements occur due to the "magic" of time or simply because a person manages to eat less in 8 hours than throughout the entire day?
To settle this question, researchers selected 31 women with overweight or obesity. The experiment was strict:
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For two weeks, participants ate according to a "morning" regime (from 08:00 to 16:00).
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For two weeks — according to an "evening" regime (from 13:00 to 21:00).
The main condition: the women received dishes that were absolutely identical in calorie content and composition. This allowed ruling out the factor of overeating or undereating.
The results are disappointing
Analysis showed that neither the early nor the late eating regime led to clinically significant changes. Insulin sensitivity, blood lipid levels, and inflammation markers remained the same as they were.
The authors of the study state: the benefits previously attributed to intermittent fasting were most likely the result of a banal calorie reduction. People simply ate less because they had less time to do so.
But there is one nuance
The only significant difference observed by scientists concerns biological rhythms. The eating schedule indeed affects the "internal clock." With a late eating regime, women's circadian rhythms shifted by an average of 40 minutes, leading to a later bedtime and more difficult awakening.
Thus, the main secret to weight loss and metabolic health remains unchanged and simple: what matters most is not when you eat, but how much you eat.
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Інтэрвальнае галаданне (ІГ) - гэта рэжым харчавання, які чаргуе перыяды прыёму ежы і перыяды ўстрымання ад ежы, факусуючыся не на тым, што ёсць, а на калі ёсць, з мэтай паляпшэння здароўя і зніжэння вагі, часта праз актывацыю працэсу аўтафагіі (самаачысткі клетак). Папулярныя схемы ўключаюць метад 16/8 (16 гадзін галадання, 8 гадзін для ежы), 5:2 (5 дзён звычайнага харчавання, 2 дні з моцным абмежаваннем калорый) і іншыя варыяцыі.
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Нядаўна медыкі "дазволілі" галадаць да 36-ці гадзін