- Intermittent fasting resulted in similar weight loss as traditional calorie restriction, according to a new review.
- One form of intermittent fasting, known as whole-day fasting, did yield slightly more weight loss than caloric restriction.
- Experts say that the similar results across different diet protocols mean individuals trying to lose weight have more options available to suit their lifestyle.
New research suggests that intermittent fasting is as effective as calorie-restricted diets for weight loss and cardiometabolic risk factors.
A systematic review of nearly 100 randomized clinical trials involving intermittent fasting (IF) and traditional calorie restriction (CR) found that both approaches yielded similar health benefits.
The analysis included several of the most common IF protocols, including:
- Alternate day fasting (ADF) alternates standard eating days with fasting days or very low calorie days.
- Time-restricted eating (TRE) restricts food intake to a daily window, typically 8 or 12 hours.
- Whole day fasting, also known as the 5:2 diet, involves two or three weekly fasting days.
All forms of IF and traditional CR produced weight loss compared with no intervention at all — known as an ad libitum, or unrestricted, diet. Of the three primary IF methods, only alternate day fasting resulted in greater weight loss than CR. However, the authors note that longer trials are needed to substantiate their findings.
“This analysis suggests that all three approaches, for the most part, lead to similar weight losses. This is why many of us believe that the best approach to losing weight is finding an approach that matches your lifestyle and is something you can practice for the long term,” said David B. Sarwer, PhD, director of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University and a spokesperson for the Obesity Society. Sarwer wasn’t involved in the research.
IF has grown rapidly in popularity over the past decade, but evidence of its health benefits — namely, weight loss and cardiometabolic measures, such as blood glucose — has been inconsistent compared with more traditional, calorie-restricted diets.
Though IF is touted as the diet du jour, there isn’t enough compelling evidence to support it yet. Nonetheless, it has been linked to an array of health benefits, including:
- weight loss.
- improved insulin resistance.
- reduced inflammation.
- brain health.
The key question, though, is not whether IF is beneficial compared to an unrestricted diet, but whether it’s better than CR. That’s where things are a little unclear.
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