The latest research reveals that the health benefits of intermittent fasting depend on the details

Friends who are in the ongoing struggle to lose weight may have heard of intermittent fasting. This method is also called light fasting. Among them, the most influential is the 5 to 2 fasting method, which makes me hungry for 2 days a week, eats only one meal that day, and has a calorie limit of 500 kcal, while eating normally for the remaining 5 days. The intermittent fasting method is controversial and there are many related studies. Recently, a scholar from the University of Bath in the United Kingdom published a paper in the Journal of Translational Medicine in the "Science" series. Through empirical research, he gave a brand new explanation on the effects and details of intermittent fasting. Let's introduce the relevant points now.

Intermittent fasting has caused a lot of controversy. Animal experiments have shown that controlling food intake for certain periods of time and forcibly changing the natural and continuous foraging mode can improve the metabolic status; in human observation experiments, different research results have shown that intermittent fasting can indeed be Make weight loss, and thereby improve metabolic status. However, some scholars believe that these conclusions are related to the trial design and it is difficult to evaluate the long-term health benefits.

Relevant studies have found that nutritional withdrawal lasting at least 12 to 14 hours can deplete liver glycogen reserves, which will cause the oxidative transformation of lipids, increase insulin sensitivity, and improve health while maintaining muscle mass. . In the past, studies have found that for men with prediabetes, fasting for 18 hours overnight for 5 weeks can improve insulin sensitivity, but the effect of weight loss is not obvious. Studies have also shown that alternating 12-hour free eating and 36-hour fasting every other day can significantly reduce body fat content within 4 weeks. However, the problem also arises. In real life, how many people can stick to such a plan? What will the subsequent health risks look like? Unfortunately, there is no definite answer to this question. As a result, for intermittent fasting, the supporters seem to show only strong evidence, while the opponents seem to be picking bones in the egg, and both sides hold different opinions.

The study conducted by the University of Bath adopted a design of contrasting alternate-day fasting and continuous energy restriction, trying to observe the independence and combination of fasting and energy restriction on body structure, energy balance, metabolic status, and subcutaneous fat tissue gene expression. influences. Participants in the trial were divided into 3 groups. The first group, fasted every other day, after the fasting day, eat 50% more than usual; the second group, the daily diet reduced 25% of calories than usual; the third group, fasted every other day, but fasted days After that, one day consumed 100% more calories than usual. During the trial period, the average energy consumption of the participants was 2000 to 2500 kcal per day.

The results of the test showed that the second group, which did not fast but restricted calorie intake, lost an average of 1.9 kg in weight within 3 weeks. The scan results showed that the weight loss was due to a decrease in body fat content. In the first group, the weight loss was 1.6 kg, 50% of the weight loss was due to fat loss, and the rest was due to the loss of muscle mass; in the third group, there was no significant weight loss. The results of the study show that only when the interday fasting is combined with energy restriction can the effect of weight loss be achieved. However, the energy restriction needs to be adhered to to truly achieve fat reduction. The study also found that daily energy restriction resulted in the most significant decrease in plasma leptin concentration; fasting or energy restriction had no effect on cardiometabolic and intestinal hormone response; gene expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue did not change with fasting. There are specific changes. In a word, intermittent fasting is not a great way to lose weight or promote health.

Intermittent fasting affects the metabolic process. The main principle is that during fasting, triglycerides are mobilized to break down into fatty acids and glycerol, and the liver converts fatty acids into ketone bodies to provide energy for the brain and other tissues. Ketone bodies can regulate the activity and expression of a variety of proteins and molecules, enhance antioxidant and DNA repair functions, affect cell autophagy, and inhibit inflammation. However, repeated fasting will cause the human body to have an adaptive response. Moreover, during the fasting period, especially in the early stages of the implementation of a weight loss program, it will cause hunger and emotional reactions, resulting in mood swings and decreased concentration, especially for people who work normally. In other words, this is a more difficult process to persist.

Intermittent fasting, a focus of controversy, is the effect on blood sugar stability. Individual studies have concluded that fasting can improve the ability to stabilize blood sugar. However, a paper published in the British Journal of Clinical Nutrition clearly pointed out that 24-hour fasting will affect the control of blood sugar after a meal. A paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association believes that intermittent fasting can cause severe blood sugar fluctuations and increase the risk of dehydration, hypotension, and hypoglycemia. Therefore, intermittent fasting should be viewed objectively, and whether to adopt it should be decided according to the individual's physical condition and needs.

It is generally believed that if the digestive function is normal, in order to prevent the rebound in the later stage of weight loss, you can try intermittent fasting; the body is strong, but people with high blood lipids and regular meals can also consider this method to control their weight; if they usually eat meals If the weight is not too large and the weight is not severely exceeded, it is not advisable to use the intermittent fasting method to run towards the skinny target. In addition, pregnant women, the elderly, anorexia nervosa, bulimia, patients with gastrointestinal diseases, cholelithiasis, etc., should not use intermittent fasting to lose weight. In short, what method to use to lose weight, you must figure out your goals, you must first have a physical examination, and listen to professional opinions, and you must not blindly follow the trend.