Intermittent fasting is an eating plan that involves consuming meals within designated time frames and avoiding eating during the rest of the day.
Some people follow intermittent fasting due purported benefits such as weight loss. In recent years, researchers have studied the dietary approach to better understand how it may influence health and to assess the accuracy of the claimed advantages.
Read on to learn about some of the recent studies Medical News Today has covered and the insights researchers discovered about intermittent fasting.
A study published in Clinical Nutrition in August researched whether eating during an 8-hour window then fasting for the rest of the day could benefit long term weight loss.
Participants had either overweight or obesity and were between the ages of 30 and 60 years. They followed one of four intermittent fasting eating patterns for 12 weeks.
The eating patterns involved one of the following:
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Researchers found that, after 1 year, those who ate during an 8-hour window, known as time-restricted eating, that started either before 10 a.m. or after 1 p.m. were more likely to maintain weight loss compared with the group that ate during their usual mealtimes.
At this time, 26% of participants also reported that they had continued to follow intermittent fasting.
However, it is important to note that this was not a large study, and there were some limitations, some as relying on some participant reporting.
Study authors Alba Camacho-Cardenosa, PhD, researcher at the Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Granada (ibs.GRANADA) and the Instituto Mixto Universitario Deporte y Salud (iMUDS), University of Granada, and Jonatan Ruiz, PhD, professor in the Department of Physical and Sports Education at the University of Granada, principal investigator of the project, and co-director of the PROFITH CTS-977 Research Group, told MNTthe following in a previous interview:
“Interestingly, the benefits were observed regardless of whether the eating window was early in the day, late in the day, or self-selected, suggesting that reducing the daily eating window itself may be more important than the specific timing.”
They added: “One possible explanation is that TRE [time-restricted eating] is a relatively simple strategy that people can easily resume whenever they feel they are regaining weight.”
Research published in the journal BMJ Medicine in January found that time-restricted eating could offer metabolic health benefits.
Metabolic health refers to how well the body processes energy. It can affect factors such as blood sugar levels and how the body produces insulin.
The study examined over 2,200 participants across 41 randomized controlled trials. They focused on:
The researchers identified that, compared with a usual diet, individuals who engaged it time-restricted eating were more likely to experience better outcomes, such as:
However, an earlier eating window may not be suitable for everybody.
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In a previous interview with MNT, Monique Richard, MS, RDN, LDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Nutrition-In-Sight, advised the following:
“A consistent eating window, whether 8, 10, or 12 hours, that fits your lifestyle and sleep schedule is more important than picking an arbitrary number,” Richard, who was not involved in the study, said.
“Keep in mind as well that there are no ‘hard and fast rules’ or ‘right way’ to an individual’s eating pattern. Bringing judgment, unnecessary stress, and rigidity into our lives around feeding and nourishing our bodies is counterproductive to health. Time-restricted eating is not about eating less but about eating to complement your body’s internal clock and support functionality,” she added.
A study published in May in Gastroenterology explored the possible benefits of an 8-hour eating window on Crohn’s disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Twenty people in the study were part of the intervention group, while 15 were in the control group. All participants had Crohn’s disease in clinical remission and either overweight or obesity.
Those in the intervention group consumed their regular diet during the 8-hour window, six days per week for 12 weeks.
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The researchers found that those in the intervention group experienced a reduction in Crohn’s disease activity, including a 40% decrease in stool frequency and 50% decrease in abdominal discomfort.
However, it is unclear whether the same results would occur if participants were not in clinical remission. The study also had a small sample size. While the results are promising, larger studies are necessary.
Babak Firoozi, MD, board certified gastroenterologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, spoke with MNTabout what the study findings could mean for people with Crohn’s disease.
“For individuals living with Crohn’s disease, the foundation of care remains adherence to a healthy diet and consistent compliance with prescribed medications. For those who are overweight or have obesity-related conditions, addressing excess weight is especially important,” Firoozi, who was not involved in the study, said in a previous interview with MNT.
“In that context, intermittent fasting may be a valuable strategy worth discussing as part of a comprehensive management plan,” he added.
