Intermittent fasting improves health

A new study published in the journal Endocrine Reviews has found that time-restricted eating, or intermittent fasting, is an excellent method for the prevention and management of obesity, cardiometabolic diseases, or liver diseases. It can also improve sleep patterns and quality of life in general.

Intermittent fasting, or eating within a consistent window of eight to ten hours each day, is a popular dietary trend that has often been used in order to lose weight. 

A research team led by the Salk Institute for Biological Studies has discovered that this method also appears to be a very powerful strategy to prevent and manage a whole range of chronic diseases, including diabetes or cardiovascular diseases. 

Study lead author Satchidananda Panda is a professor at the Salk Institute who explores the genes, molecules, and cells that are involved in circadian rhythms.

“People who are trying to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle should pay more attention to when they eat as well as what they eat. Time-restricted eating is an easy-to-follow and effective dietary strategy that requires less mental math than counting calories. Intermittent fasting can improve sleep and a person’s quality of life as well as reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease,” said Professor Panda.

The researchers confirmed that the expression of genes, hormone levels, and metabolic processes in general rise and fall during different times of the day. Thus, aligning our daily eating schedules with our bodies’ internal clocks can significantly improve health and reduce the possibility of developing chronic diseases. 

Moreover, previous studies have also found that intermittent fasting can reduce hypertension by reshaping the composition of the gut microbiota.

“Eating at random times breaks the synchrony of our internal program and make us prone to diseases,” explained Professor Panda. “Intermittent fasting is a lifestyle that anyone can adopt. It can help eliminate health disparities and lets everyone live a healthy and fulfilling life.”

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By Andrei Ionescu, Earth.com Staff Writer