Loved and followed by more and more people, the intermittent fasting it is a very popular diet scheme, so much so that it is one of the topics that has generated the most conversations and “tweets” on Twitter throughout 2021. But not only that. In fact, intermittent fasting has been at the center of heated debates in the scientific world for years.
This innovative and popular diet, in fact, is very popular because it is easy to follow, requiring no particular foods to eat or specific apps, but is it really risk-free?
Intermittent fasting: how it works and the benefits
Intermittent fasting is a dietary pattern based on periods of calorie restriction alternating with periods of normal food intake, on a recurring basis.
The main benefits of intermittent fasting involve the regulation of blood glucose, with an improvement in triglyceride and cholesterol levels, blood pressure levels and resting heart rate. Furthermore, it seems that following intermittent fasting can help reduce the increase in free radicals and can delay the onset of diseases such as stroke, dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
Does intermittent fasting make you lose weight?
We have therefore seen what are the main benefits that derive from following this dietary pattern. So does intermittent fasting make you lose weight? The answer is ni.
More than to lose weight, in fact, the caloric deficit resulting from intermittent fasting can stimulate the metabolism, which makes you lose weight only if combined with a healthy and varied diet and proper physical activity. Some studies, including that conducted by a team from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), have also come to the conclusion that intermittent fasting makes you lose weight just like any other diet that involves a reduction in daily calories and their consumption in unspecified times but, conversely, can lead to greater muscle loss. For this reason, those who follow intermittent fasting may need to do more physical activity to maintain muscle mass.
Intermittent fasting: contraindications and side effects
But that’s not all. Because if it is true that intermittent fasting has several benefits, in particular related to the regulation of blood glucose and blood pressure and heart rate levels, it is also true that if prolonged over time, prolonged and repeated fasting can cause serious damage. to the organism. Furthermore, the presence of a concomitant disease may represent an additional risk factor.
As stated by the ISS – Higher Institute of Health – “when it comes to reducing the number of calories (caloric restriction) and, above all, fasting, it is good to remember that the effects on health can be unpredictable and in some cases dangerous. For this reason, it is important to avoid radically changing one’s eating habits without the advice of a doctor or an expert in the sector “.
Usually, in fact, when it is a professional who follows us it is difficult for other problems to arise besides, of course, the frequent feeling of hunger. On the other hand, if you resort to “do it yourself” intermittent fasting you can run into ailments such as irritability, anger, difficulty concentrating, headaches, fatigue, falling asleep, reduced physical and mental performance, dehydration and insomnia. .
Furthermore, some situations are more at risk than others. If you are taking drugs and in the presence of illness it is particularly important to avoid resorting to do-it-yourself and improvised diets. Finally, any form of intermittent fasting is absolutely to be avoided in children, adolescents, pregnant or lactating women and in all cases of eating disorder.