The two dietary strategies par excellence compared in a new study. And the winner is…
When it comes to losing weight, there are 2 most popular diet strategies: calorie restriction and intermittent fasting. The former involves limiting your daily calorie intake, while intermittent fasting involves restricting the hours of the day you can eat. But what is the most effective method for weight loss? Some scientists have tried to find out…
Fasting or calorie restriction: the study— A new study conducted at the University of Illinois at Chicago and coordinated by Professor Krista Varady compared the two approaches by randomly assigning 90 obese adults to 3 different groups. One group could only eat between noon and 8 p.m., another had to reduce their daily calorie intake by 25%, while a third control group maintained their typical eating habits, eating for 10 or more hours a day. The time-restricted and calorie-restricted groups also met with a dietitian on a regular basis. The result? After one year, both the time-restricted mealtime group and the calorie-restricted group lost significantly more weight than the control group. Specifically, the calorie-restricted group lost about 5.5 kg, while the time-restricted group lost about 4.5 kg.
The best diet— These findings, according to the researchers, tell us that limiting meal consumption to an 8-hour daily window can lead to weight loss similar to that achieved with traditional daily calorie counting. While the calorie restriction group lost slightly more weight, intermittent fasting does offer an approach that may be easier for some people to follow. Modern lifestyles, characterized by 24-hour activity, have resulted in a perpetual availability of food. But this, together with the interrupted day-night rhythms, due to poor quality sleep and (long) exposure to artificial light from screens, can be harmful to health. People often spread their meals over 14 hours, which limits and precludes the natural overnight fast. A factor that can contribute to metabolic disorders, especially from middle age onwards.
Which diet is better to choose— But before establishing either weight loss method as more effective, the Chicago researchers believe more studies are needed to identify who might benefit most from each method. Even if – they admit – individual preferences play an important factor, given that, in terms of weight loss, caloric restriction and intermittent fasting (more or less) are equal.
July 20 – 11:02
© breaking latest news