EC Clinical and Medical Case Reports

Introduction: Dietary fads that don’t seem to be going away anytime soon include intermittent fasting (IF) [1]. It’s when you voluntarily abstain from food and beverages other than water for a set amount of time. While some individuals fast for health-related reasons, others fast for spiritual reasons [2,3].

On overweight rats, numerous very promising research on IF have been carried out [4]. They experience a drop in their weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. But they’re rats. IF has been shown to be safe and successful in nearly a dozen human studies, though not much more so than any other diet [5]. In addition, many people find it difficult to fast.

However, an increasing amount of evidence indicates that the timing of the fast is crucial and can help make IF a more practical, long- lasting, and successful strategy for both diabetes prevention and weight loss [6].

Weight loss can be aided by intermittent fasting: IF seems to make sense. Enzymes in our stomach break down the food we eat, resulting in chemicals entering our bloodstream [7]. Our cells swiftly convert carbohydrates-especially sugars and refined grains like rice and white flour-into sugar, which is what gives us energy [8]. We keep it in our fat cells as well, because our cells don’t use it completely up [9]. But insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas, is necessary for sugar to enter our cells. Sugar enters and remains in fat cells thanks to insulin.

Several studies in humans comparing fasting every other day with eating less every day found that both had similar weight loss effects, even if people had difficulty tolerating fasting days [10-12]. So, choosing a low-calorie, plant-based, Mediterranean-style diet makes sense [13]. But research shows that not all IF approaches are created equal and that some IF diets are actually effective and sustainable, especially when combined with a nutrient-rich plant-based diet [14,15].

Disclosure Statement: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

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