Is Your Intermittent Fasting Routine Dangerous?
In the world of diets, intermittent fasting (IF) has gained global attention and a stream of followers. A new study, with a sample of over 19,000 individuals, has however, found that such individuals who restrict the eating window to under eight hours a day have a much higher risk of cardiovascular issues compared to those who eat within a typical window of 12-14 hours.
Published in Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research and Reviews, the study is the first one to highlight this cardiovascular risk and the authors warrant further research.
An accompanying editorial by Dr Anoop Misra, Editor-in-Chief, underscores the need for balance despite IF’s proven benefits such as weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, and better lipid control. He cautions that IF is not a one-size-fits-all solution and should be practiced for a short time under medical supervision. Risks include nutrient deficiencies, hypoglycaemia in diabetics, and frailty in older adults, in addition to the cardiovascular harm indicated by the aforementioned study.
Excerpted from The Week
