Scientific research links many benefits to intermediate fasting. From improved blood pressure and resting heart rate to enhanced cognitive and physical performance.
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In addition to increasing physical activity, a new diet is among the first things people think of when looking to improve their health. One of the main problems in searching for an appropriate diet is the lack of scientific evidence that supports claims made for a lot of these diets.
Neuroscientist Dr. Mark Mattson from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine concludes that at least one diet has scientific evidence supporting its claims, and that is intermediate fasting. He studied intermittent fasting for 25 years and adopted it himself. His findings are published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
According to Dr. Mattson, intermediate fasting could be part of a healthy lifestyle. He states that intermittent fasting diets can be categorized into two types. One focuses on daily time-restricted feeding, which narrows eating times to 6 to 8 hours per day, and the other is named 5:2 intermittent fasting. In 5:2 intermittent fasting, people limit themselves to one moderate-sized meal two days per week
Animal and human studies have shown that alternating between times of fasting and eating boosts cellular health, presumably by triggering an age-old adaptation to periods of food scarcity called metabolic switching. (During a long period of our early existence as humans, we didn't have a stable daily source of food intake). A switch like that occurs when cells use up their stocks of quickly available, sugar-based fuel, and start converting fat cells into energy paired with a slower metabolic process. According to Dr. Mattson, studies show that such a switch improves blood sugar regulation in addition to inhibiting inflammation and increasing our resistance to stress.
The benefits of intermittent fasting - Why doctors believe this method could lead to improved health - Image Credit: Johns Hopkins Medicine - (Click on image to see the entire list)
Most people eat at least three times per day, in which case they don't undergo the before mentioned switch causing them to miss the suggested benefits. In Dr. Mattson's New England Journal of Medicine piece, he comments that in 4 studies of both animals and humans, intermittent fasting was found to decrease blood lipid levels, blood pressure as well as resting heart rates. In addition to that, evidence is growing that intermittent fasting is stated to be able to mitigate risk factors associated with obesity and diabetes.
Two studies done at the University Hospital of South Manchester of 100 overweight women revealed that those on the previously mentioned 5:2 intermittent fasting diet lost the same amount of weight as women that just restricted calorie intake, but did better when measured on insulin sensitivity and reduced belly fat.
More recent preliminary studies propose that intermittent fasting could benefit brain health as well. A multicenter clinical trial at the University of Toronto found that 220 healthy, nonobese adults that maintained a calorie-restricted diet for two years showed signs of improved memory.
It is important to note that a lot more research has to be done to conclusively prove any effects of intermittent fasting on memory and learning ability. Dr. Mattson stated that if such proof is found, the fasting (or a pharmaceutical equivalent that mimics it) might offer interventions that can stave off neurodegeneration and dementia.
According to Dr. Mattson, we are at a point of transition where we could soon think of adding information about intermittent fasting to medical school curricula in addition to the standard advice about healthy diets. He recognizes that scientists do not yet fully understand the specific mechanisms of metabolic switching and that some people are unable or unwilling to stick to the fasting regimens. But he maintains that with guidance and patience, most people can include them into their lives. It takes some time for the body to adjust to intermittent fasting, and to get beyond initial hunger pangs and irritability that accompany it.
Feeling starved and more irritable is typical for those that start with intermediate fasting. As specified by Dr. Mattson, these feelings typically go away after two to four weeks. The body and brain need to get familiar with new eating habits. Slowly increasing the duration and frequency of the fasting periods over the course of many months might alleviate the side effects a little.
While research needs to be done on the exact workings of metabolic switching as well as on the cognitive benefits of intermittent fasting, the health benefits that have already been presented to us are astounding.
Source and further reading: Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Health, Aging, and Disease / Johns Hopkins medicine
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