Intermittent Fasting: A New Key to Weight Loss and Heart Health

A study shows that early intermittent fasting can aid weight loss and improve cardiovascular health in obese individuals, offering a practical dietary solution.

A recent collaborative study involving the University of Granada (UGR), the Public University of Navarra (UPNA), and CIBER has shed light on the benefits of intermittent fasting for those struggling with obesity.

This research highlights how reducing eating hours and extending fasting periods can facilitate weight loss while also improving cardiovascular health.

Study Findings

Published in *Nature Medicine*, the study suggests a practical approach: having dinner before 5 p.m. and skipping it altogether.

This method appears particularly effective for shedding subcutaneous abdominal fat, especially after indulgent occasions like the holidays.

In Spain, obesity and being overweight are serious issues, affecting nearly 70% of men and 50% of women.

This widespread condition is closely linked to numerous metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and an increased risk of heart diseases and certain cancers.

The growing obesity epidemic not only impacts individuals’ quality of life but also places a heavy burden on public health systems.

Researchers are on the lookout for simple and effective strategies to tackle this escalating problem, which is now often treated as a disease.

Intermittent Fasting Benefits

While traditional calorie-restricted diets can lead to weight loss and better heart health, maintaining these regimes over the long term can be difficult.

Many people find that they eventually abandon strict diets, often regaining more weight than they initially lost.

To overcome these challenges, novel nutritional strategies are gaining traction, with intermittent fasting taking center stage.

This approach involves alternating between periods of eating and fasting that can last anywhere from several hours to a few days.

One popular variant is time-restricted eating, commonly practiced in Spain, where meals are typically consumed from around 7-8 a.m. to 9-10 p.m., resulting in a 12-14 hour eating window.

However, the focus should be on narrowing this window to 6-8 hours, which allows for fasting periods of 16-18 hours.

This strategy aims to align eating patterns with the body’s natural biological cycles.

The research team, known as PROFITH CTS-977 and based in the Department of Physical Education and Sports at the Faculty of Sports Sciences, worked alongside the Sport and Health University Research Institute (iMUDS) and was led by Dr. Jonatan Ruiz.

They conducted an extensive study in collaboration with ibs.Granada and various hospitals in Granada.

Participants were divided into groups that followed three different fasting regimens: early fasting—which involved eating between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.—late fasting (from about 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.), and self-selected fasting allowing individuals to choose their eating schedules.

Research Outcomes

In this multicenter, randomized controlled trial, 197 participants, half of whom were women, were studied over a 12-week period.

The results were encouraging.

Participants adhering to the fasting protocols lost an average of 3-4 kg more than those who maintained a conventional eating routine exceeding 12 hours.

Notably, individuals in the early fasting group not only saw significant weight loss but also experienced a decrease in subcutaneous abdominal fat and improvements in fasting glucose levels, which is vital for glucose regulation and reducing the risk of diabetes.

Researchers reported high adherence rates among all participants following the fasting protocols, with no serious adverse effects noted.

This supports the idea that intermittent fasting is a safe, effective option for managing weight and enhancing cardiovascular health in individuals facing obesity.

These findings could play a crucial role in refining nutritional strategies aimed at this population.

Source: ScienceDaily