Is Intermittent Fasting Better Than Counting Calories?
Intermittent fasting may offer similar benefits to conventional calorie-restricted weight loss diets, according to Colombia (US) researchers in an analysis of trial evidence published in The BMJ. The eating pattern cycles between periods of eating and fasting on a regular schedule and is becoming a popular alternative to traditional calorie-restricted diets, which the researchers say are often unsustainable in the long term.
The researchers add that alternate-day fasting also demonstrates “greater benefits” compared with both calorie restriction and other intermittent fasting approaches, but note longer trials are needed.
“The value of this study is not in establishing a universally superior strategy but in positioning alternate-day fasting as an additional option within the therapeutic repertoire,” say researchers from Colombia in a linked editorial.
Excerpted from Nutrition Insight
