Two daily fasting diets, also called time-restricted diets, are effective for weight loss, according to a new study published by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The study reported results of a clinical trial comparing a 4-hour time-limited feeding and a 6-hour feeding against a control group.
“This is the first human clinical trial to compare the effects of two popular forms of time-restricted diets on body weight and cardiometabolic risk factors,” said Krista Varady, a professor of nutrition at the UIC College of Applied Health Sciences and corresponding author of the story. /P>
Participants in the 4-hour restricted diet group were asked to eat only between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM. Participants in the 6-hour restricted diet group were asked to eat only between 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM.
In both study groups, patients were allowed to eat whatever they wanted during the 4-hour or 6-hour eating period. During the fasting hours, the participants were instructed to drink only water or calorie-free drinks. In the control group, participants were instructed to maintain their weight and not change their diet or physical activity. The participants were followed for 10 weeks while weight, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and inflammatory markers were monitored.
The study found that participants in both daily fasting groups reduced calorie intake by about 550 calories each day simply by sticking to the schedule and lost about 3% of their body weight. The researchers also found that insulin resistance and oxidative stress levels were reduced in participants in the study groups compared to the control group. There was no effect on blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol or triglycerides. There was also no significant difference in weight loss or cardiometabolic risk factors between the 4-hour and 6-hour diet groups.
"The findings of this study are promising and reinforce what we've seen in other studies — fasting diets are a viable option for those looking to lose weight, especially those who don't want to count calories or find other diets that are tiring." said Varady. “It also says there was no additional weight loss for people who fasted longer – until we have further studies directly comparing the two diets or looking to study the optimal time for fasting, these results suggest that 6 hours of fasting might make sense for most people. who want to follow a daily fasting diet.'
Varady and her colleagues also reported that no serious side effects were reported by study participants during the study, and that the mild side effects — such as dizziness or headache — were limited to the beginning of the study.
