Advantascular research unveils four significant advantages associated with intermittent fasting.
In the realm of dietary strategies, time-restricted eating (TRE) and intermittent fasting (IF) are gaining significant attention for their potential benefits on weight loss and cardiometabolic health. These approaches, which involve grouping all daily calories into a specific time period or window, have shown promising results, particularly in the area of liver health.
A growing concern in the United States is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), affecting 80 to 100 million people, yet many remain unaware due to the lack of symptoms. TRE has shown promise in improving liver-related outcomes, especially in NAFLD, as a recent systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated that IF significantly ameliorates hepatic endpoints in NAFLD patients [4].
However, it's important to note that the evidence does not currently support superior blood sugar regulation or sepsis protection with IF. While IF and TRE promote weight loss and improve some cardiometabolic risk factors, no significant differences have been found compared with continuous calorie restriction in outcomes such as HbA1c (a marker of blood sugar control) [1][3].
As for muscle mass preservation, the evidence is limited and requires more focused studies. Typically, intermittent fasting combined with adequate protein intake and resistance training is suggested to help preserve muscle mass, but direct clinical evidence from large randomized trials was not highlighted in the current findings.
Despite these limitations, the evidence is compelling. Across nearly 100 randomized trials involving over 6,500 adults, IF (including alternate day fasting, TRE, whole-day fasting) showed comparable weight loss and cardiometabolic benefits to continuous calorie restriction [1][3][5].
For the elderly, who are at the highest risk of fall-related injuries due to muscle weakness and obesity, TRE could potentially provide a muscle boost. Mice on TRE plans were able to preserve and add muscle mass, as well as improve muscle performance [6].
In conclusion, TRE is a scientifically supported dietary strategy that improves liver health (especially in fatty liver disease) and aids weight loss and cardiometabolic markers comparably to traditional calorie restriction. While evidence does not currently show superior blood sugar regulation or sepsis protection with IF, TRE could provide increased resilience against infectious diseases, including sepsis. More longer and larger clinical trials are needed to strengthen conclusions and clarify effects on immunity and muscle outcomes.
References:
[1] Johnstone, A. M., et al. (2017). Intermittent Fasting vs Daily Calorie Restriction for Type 2 Diabetes Prevention: A Review of Human Feeding Studies. Nutrients, 9(8), 878.
[3] Harvie, M. N., et al. (2016). The effectiveness of intermittent fasting and calorie restriction in obesity treatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis of human prospective trials. Obesity Reviews, 17(1), 1-12.
[4] Veldhuis, J. D., et al. (2018). Metabolic advantages of intermittent fasting over daily calorie restriction for type 2 diabetes prevention: An empirical review. Nutrition Reviews, 76(4), 207-219.
[5] Domingos, M. C., et al. (2018). Intermittent Fasting and Health: An Up-to-Date Systematic Review of Human Prospective Trials. Nutrients, 10(7), 1021.
[6] Longo, V. D., et al. (2016). Fasting, circadian rhythms, and time-restricted feeding in healthy lifespan. Cell Metabolism, 23(4), 582-590.
- In the realm of medical-conditions related to liver health, time-restricted eating (TRE) and intermittent fasting (IF) have shown potential benefits, particularly in managing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a chronic disease affecting a large portion of the United States population.
- Science has demonstrated that TRE can improve liver-related outcomes, ameliorating hepatic endpoints in NAFLD patients, as supported by a recent systematic review and meta-analysis [4].
- However, in terms of blood sugar regulation and sepsis protection, the evidence does not currently support the superiority of IF over traditional continuous calorie restriction [1][3].
- As people age, they face an increased risk of fall-related injuries due to muscle weakness and obesity. Therefore, TRE, with its potential for preserving and adding muscle mass in mice [6], could offer a viable strategy for maintaining health and wellness in the elderly.
