Intermittent fasting has been found to be just as effective as classic diets based on reducing calories, according to a recent study.
The study compared the results of two different diets: intermittent fasting and a traditional diet based on calorie restriction. The study found that both methods were equally effective in helping participants lose weight, as long as they were motivated to stick to the diet and had professional assistance.
Krista Varady, professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois at Chicago, conducted the study. She compared a type of intermittent fasting that involves abstaining from food for 16 hours each day and eating regularly for the remaining 8 hours with a diet based on counting calories.
The results, published in the scientific journal Annals of Internal Medicine, suggest that intermittent fasting works by making people eat less, just like other types of diets.
The study recruited 90 obese adults aged 18 to 65 and randomly assigned them to one of three groups: an intermittent fasting group, a calorie restriction group, and a control group. Each participant had to fill out a daily food diary for three months.
After six months, all participants assigned to the two diets lost about 5% of their starting weight. In the following six months, the maintenance phase began: the intermittent fasting group extended their eating window to 10 hours, while the calorie restriction group consumed the recommended amount of calories each day.
After a year, the participants in both diet groups were consuming 400 fewer calories per day than the control group and had lost an average of five kilograms more.
The study also confirmed previous findings on intermittent fasting, but with a more diverse group of participants. Varady explained that intermittent fasting is a good option because it doesn’t require carefully monitoring everything you eat, but rather looking at the clock and letting time dictate eating patterns.
Interestingly, regardless of the different approaches, the amount of calories consumed was similar in both diets. Both plans also resulted in similar reductions in waist circumference and fat mass, and neither had a significant effect on blood glucose or cholesterol levels.
The success of both diets is attributed to the psychological and nutritional support provided to the participants throughout the study year. They received food advice and cognitive-behavioral therapy to help reduce impulsive eating.
In conclusion, intermittent fasting has been shown to be an effective method for weight loss, comparable to traditional calorie-restricted diets. The key is finding a diet plan that individuals can stick to and having professional support throughout the process.