10 Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. Rather than focusing on what foods you eat, intermittent fasting primarily dictates when you should eat. Intermittent fasting has gained popularity for various reasons, including potential health benefits such as weight loss, improved metabolic health, and better brain function.

Types of Intermittent Fasting

• 16/8 method: This method involves fasting for 16 hours each day and restricting you’re eating window to 8 hours. For example, you might eat between 12:00 PM and 8:00 PM, then fast until 12:00 PM the next day.
• 5:2 method: With this approach, you eat normally for five days of the week and then restrict your calorie intake to about 500-600 calories on the other two non-consecutive days.
• Eat-Stop-Eat: This method involves fasting for 24 hours once or twice a week. For example, you might have dinner one night and then not eat again until dinner the next day.
• Alternate day fasting: As the name suggests, this method involves alternating between fasting days and non-fasting days. On fasting days, you may consume few calories or none.

Intermittent Fasting Benefits

1. Helps in Weight Loss

Intermittent fasting is great if you are looking for weight loss. By limiting the time window in which you eat, intermittent fasting often leads to consuming fewer calories overall. When you have fewer hours in the day to eat, you may naturally eat less, leading to a calorie deficit, which is essential for weight loss.

A study was done to compare the impact of intermittent fasting and regular calorie deficient diet plan. It was observed that people on intermittent fasting lost more weight than people on regular calorie deficit diet.

2. Helps to lower type 2 diabetes

Intermittent fasting has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, which is how effectively your body responds to insulin and regulates blood sugar levels. Better insulin sensitivity can reduce the likelihood of insulin resistance and lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It can also promote more efficient fat metabolism.

One study found that obesity is the major factor for developing type 2 diabetes. Intermittent fasting has helped people lose weight thus managing their symptoms of diabetes better.

3. Helps to Improve Heart Health

As with weight loss, studies have also shown that practicing intermittent fasting can reduce a person’s risk for developing cardiovascular disease. This is likely due to reduced triglyceride levels, improved cholesterol levels, decreased blood pressure and improved vascular function associated with intermittent fasting diets. (1)

Intermittent fasting has been shown to positively affect lipid profiles by reducing levels of LDL cholesterol (often referred to as “bad” cholesterol) and triglycerides while increasing levels of HDL cholesterol (known as “good” cholesterol). This favorable lipid profile is associated with a lower risk of heart disease.

4. Helps to Improve Cognitive Function

Some studies suggest that intermittent fasting may have neuroprotective effects, helping to protect the brain from age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Fasting triggers cellular mechanisms that enhance neuronal resistance to stress and stimulate the production of proteins that support brain health.

5. Helps to Reduce Chronic Inflammation

Intermittent fasting may reduce inflammation by activating cellular stress responses, enhancing antioxidant defenses, and promoting mitochondrial health. By regulating pathways involved in inflammation, fasting can mitigate chronic inflammation, contributing to improved overall health and potentially reducing the risk of inflammation-related diseases.

Multiple studies have found that intermittent fasting may help enhance the body’s resistance to oxidative stress and help reduce inflammation, which plays a role in various conditions (2).

6. Helps to Reduce the Risk of Cancer

Intermittent fasting may influence various pathways involved in cancer development, such as reducing inflammation, improving metabolic health, and promoting cellular repair mechanisms.

A study found that restrictive diets such as intermittent fasting could delay the onset of tumors.

7. Helps in Cellular Repair

During fasting, cells initiate autophagy, a cellular cleanup process. This involves breaking down and metabolizing damaged proteins that accumulate within cells over time. A study found that intermittent fasting can help to activate autophagy. It also notes that this activation may increase the benefits of intermittent fasting.

8. Helps to Increase Mental Focus

Many people who practice intermittent fasting claim to experience increased mental clarity and focus throughout their days. This may be because extended periods without food cause lowered levels of insulin and increased production of ketone bodies, which act as an alternative fuel source for your brain cells.

9. Helps to Prevent Alzheimer

Emerging research suggests that intermittent fasting might have potential benefits in reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. It may influence various factors associated with Alzheimer’s, such as reducing inflammation, improving insulin sensitivity, promoting brain health, and supporting cellular repair mechanisms.

10. Helps to Improve Longitivity

Finally, research has suggested that incorporating periodically extended fasts into one’s lifestyle could lead to an overall increase in lifespan. It is thought that this could be related to how the body responds at a cellular level when it experiences extended periods without food or calorie restriction over long durations.

Conclusion

Intermittent fasting, widely recognized for weight loss, offers broader health advantages. Research involving both animals and humans suggests it could potentially extend lifespan and promote overall well-being.

Intermittent fasting encompasses various approaches, including daily fasting within specific hours and periodic fasting on select days of the week.

FAQs

1. What are 5 benefits of intermittent fasting?

Five benefits of intermittent fasting include weight loss, improved metabolic health, enhanced insulin sensitivity, increased cellular repair processes like autophagy, and potential reduction in inflammation. It may also support brain health, though more research is needed.

2. Which meal is best to skip for intermittent fasting?

The meal often skipped during intermittent fasting is breakfast, as it extends the overnight fasting period. However, the best meal to skip depends on individual preferences and lifestyle.

3. How many hours of intermittent fasting is beneficial?

The beneficial duration of intermittent fasting varies, but common methods include fasting for 16 hours with an 8-hour eating window or fasting for 24 hours once or twice weekly.

4. Is it better to fast for 12 or 16 hours?

Fasting for 16 hours typically offers more pronounced benefits, including enhanced fat burning and improved metabolic health, compared to a 12-hour fasting period.

5. What is the best food to eat after intermittent fasting?

After intermittent fasting, it’s advisable to consume a balanced meal with protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates. Opt for nutrient-dense foods like lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.

6. What are the basic rules of intermittent fasting?

The basic rules of intermittent fasting involve cycling between periods of fasting and eating. Common methods include fasting for a set number of hours each day or fasting on certain days of the week.