Intermittent fasting poses serious health risks, warnings
New research suggests that intermittent fasting may increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease in the long term.
Fox – LA
Intermittent fasting has become a popular diet method over the past few years, with stars like Jennifer Aniston, Kourtney Kardashian, Chris Pratt and Jimmy Kimmel praising it, but they often don’t go into detail about what health benefits it provides.
Many people online are saying that intermittent fasting can help you achieve your weight loss goals, so does that mean it’s worth giving it a try? You can expect some success, but health experts warn that there are caveats and exceptions you should understand first.
“Restrictive dieting is really unnecessary and counterproductive for most people,” says the registered dietitian. Jamie Nadeau She told USA TODAY, “When people fail to stick to a diet, not only do most people regain the weight, but many also experience poor food behaviors… Often, people feel like there’s something wrong with them or that they lack willpower, when in fact it’s the diet that’s causing them to fail.”
Before you try intermittent fasting, experts reveal what you should know.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a diet that can be implemented in a few different ways, but essentially it involves setting times when you eat and fast. Schedules can range from setting an eight-hour eating window each day (say, 11am to 7pm) to an extreme schedule where you only eat one meal a day, two days a week. Johns Hopkins Medicine.
“Intermittent fasting may help some people maintain a calorie deficit simply by eating less,” Nadeau says, “but research has not proven intermittent fasting to be more effective than traditional lifestyle or dietary changes.”
What are the downsides to intermittent fasting?
A recent pilot study raised alarm after it found that people who practice intermittent fasting (defined in the study as following an eight-hour time-restricted eating schedule) had a 91% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared with those who eat between 12 and 16 hours a day.
Johns Hopkins Medicine also recommends that people under 18, who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or who have type 1 diabetes or an eating disorder not try this diet plan.
“Because intermittent fasting has such strict structure and strict rules about when you can and can’t eat, I would recommend that anyone with a history of eating disorders avoid it, as it could definitely make things worse,” Nadeau says.
If you want to lose weight, Nadeau recommends focusing on small habit changes: adding more exercise to your daily schedule, eating more fruits, vegetables, and foods high in fiber and protein, and drinking more water.
“A new diet is always exciting, and it’s easy to get carried away, thinking it’s the magic diet you’ve been looking for,” Nadeau says. “But the reality is that restrictive diets don’t work in the long term. If it’s not something you think you can stick to forever, it won’t work. Diet changes have to be something you can incorporate into your life permanently, so you can maintain your health and results forever.”
“We were surprised”: Intermittent fasting poses serious health risks, warnings