A study by Spanish scientists has revealed intermittent fasting (IF) can help people lose weight and improve their cardiovascular health in individuals with obesity. And if you don’t like counting calories, this could be the way forward.
IF focuses on alternating periods of eating and fasting, with a popular method being time-restricted eating (TRE). In Spain, people typically have breakfast between 7am and 8am and dinner between 9pm and 10 pm, resulting in a 12 to 14 hour eating window.
This type of intermittent fasting reduces the eating window from 12-14 hours to 6-8 hours, with a fasting period of 16-18 hours. According to some studies, this form of diet helps maintain a daily cycle of eating and fasting, stabilising the body’s biological rhythms.
What does the study say?
A team of scientists led by the University of Granada (UGR), the Public University of Navarra (UPNA), and CIBER has found that IF is an effective method for weight loss and improves cardiovascular health in individuals with obesity issues. Published in Nature Medicine, the 12-week study, led by the UGR, UPNA and CIBER, involved 197 participants randomised into four of the following groups:
- Early fasting (9am–5pm)
- Late fasting (2pm–10pm)
- Self-selected fasting (participants choose their eating window, averaging between noon and 8pm)
- Usual care (on a Mediterranean diet without fasting)
The study, according to cuidateplus.marca, reveals among these fasting methods, having the last meal before 5pm and not dining at night is an effective strategy for losing weight. In addition to fasting, all participants also received standard treatment consisting of a nutritional education programme with a Mediterranean diet and healthy lifestyle habits.
The study found that groups practising fasting achieved greater weight loss with an average loss of 3 to 4kg compared to the usual treatment group maintaining at least a 12-hour eating window. Notably, the early fasting group significantly reduced subcutaneous abdominal fat.
The study also assessed fasting glucose levels and glucose over 24 hours using continuous glucose monitoring worn by participants for 14 days before and after the intervention. Results show the early fasting group significantly improved fasting glucose levels and nocturnal glucose compared to the other groups.
Experts say that these findings suggest that early fasting could be particularly beneficial for optimising glucose regulation, potentially helping prevent diabetes and improve metabolic health. Discussing the 9am to 5pm fasting group, which has come out on top, Idoia Labayen from the Public University of Navarra and Navarra University Hospital explains what this means.
She says: “Not eating at night allows the body more time to digest and process nutrients, facilitating better blood glucose regulation and reducing the risk of developing sugar-related problems and other metabolic disorders.”
With a careful approach, intermittent fasting might help you to lose weight. Not only that but it will also help you to reset your body’s biological clock, thus allowing you to sleep and eat better, making you feel more energised and refreshed.
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