Intermittent fasting is an increasingly popular way to eat less and lose weight. A new review concludes that dietary restriction alone, at least on its own, may not be enough to shed body fat.
Researchers from the University of Southern Denmark and Wageningen University in the Netherlands have compiled the existing knowledge we have about fasting practices.
A lot of data has been collected over the years covering various aspects of how intermittent fasting affects the body. One important point is that to see weight loss, you need to combine intermittent fasting with controlling your calorie intake. It's not the longer breaks between meals that make the difference, but the reduction in total calories.
“When doing intermittent fasting, the basic rule still applies: If you want to lose weight, you need to burn fewer calories than you expend.” To tell says Philip Rupert, a molecular biologist at the University of Southern Denmark.
“This means that intermittent fasting does not give you a free pass to eat unlimited food. This is basic physiology, and fasting cannot change it.”
This review contains much of the evidence for examining the effects of intermittent fasting at the molecular level. These include the release of the breakdown of fatty acid stores in the body to provide energy. ketogenesis (If the rate of breakdown of this fatty acid is high, ketone bodies are produced in the liver).
The paper also mentions euphoria such as: some people get After several days of fasting, a feeling of euphoria begins to replace the feeling of hunger, perhaps in response to changes in chemical processes occurring in the body and brain.
This is something Rupert himself experienced while fasting. So far, scientists don't know why this happens, but there is one possibility. is it a ketone body Your brain hums in a happier state because it is more efficiently supplied with energy.
“During fasting, ketone bodies are supplied to the brain.” To tell Rupert. Maybe that's why you can experience this sense of transparency.
There are different approaches to intermittent fasting, with some people not eating at certain times of the day, and others only not eating on certain days of the week. Many famous celebrities also participate in these diets.
And the researchers point out that there are many documented health benefits of fasting beyond weight loss. lower blood pressure. What is clear, however, is that everyone reacts differently to fasting, so it's important to talk to your doctor if you're thinking of reducing your food intake.
“While intermittent fasting certainly has many health benefits, fasting itself does not lead to significant weight loss.” To tell Rupert.
This research Trends in endocrinology and metabolism.
