According to scientists from Argentina, an extensive review of studies shows that the popular practice of alternating fasting days with normal eating may have little or no effect on weight loss and quality of life. The team analyzed 22 studies involving nearly two thousand adults.
It investigated whether short-term intermittent fasting (up to 12 months) helped reduce weight more than standard dietary recommendations or no recommendations at all. Compared to traditional advice to cut calories and eat healthier, there was little or no difference. A similarly small or null effect was also shown when compared to the no-recommendation groups; the impact on quality of life was not clear here.
“Intermittent fasting may be a sensible choice for some people, but the current evidence does not justify the enthusiasm we see on social media,” said lead author Luis Garegnani of the Universidad Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires. “Physicians will need to be individualized when recommending weight loss to overweight adults,” adds Dr. Eva Madridová.
According to their own words, the authors are moderately confident about the main conclusions, less so about other aspects, because several studies had small numbers of participants and a less robust methodology. The review was published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and calls for further research, such as the effect on type 2 diabetes.
