Many researchers have touted the benefits of interval fasting for weight loss, a practice popularized by celebrities such as Kourtney Kardashian and Jennifer Aniston
Now, a randomized-controlled trial conducted by U.S. researchers adds to the discussion, finding that taking a break from dieting may not actually sabotage efforts to shed pounds
The 12-week trial studied the health of 30 women living with obesity between the ages of 18 and 65
During this period, all of the women were asked to cut their daily calorie intake by a quarter and consume around 1.2 grams of protein
What was different between the women was the method of weight loss. Some of the women either restricted calories using intermittent fasting, while others had planned breaks in their diet and ate more calories on some days
Ultimately, the women with the planned diet breaks were found to lose essentially the same amount of fat as the women who continuously restricted their calories
Fat mass fell by 9.30 kilograms in the fasting group and 9.21 kilograms in the diet-breaking group, which was a statistically negligible difference
“These results are consistent with current clinical guidelines and a substantial body of literature demonstrating that overall energy deficit, rather than the temporal pattern of restriction, is the primary determinant of fat loss,” the researchers wrote
The findings build on February research from Rutgers University that showed intermittent fasting to be no better or worse than regular dieting after a review of dozens of past randomized controlled trials
“The differences we found between the diets were statistically indistinguishable from zero,” Diane Rigassio Radler, a professor of clinical nutrition at the Rutgers School of Health Professions, explained in a release
Limiting meals to a specific time does help curb hunger and lowers blood pressure, Harvard University researchers say
Though women have reduced responses to fasting because of their hormones, according to the Cleveland Clinic
“Fasting can make estrogen and progesterone take a nose-dive,” registered dietitian Julia Zumpano said
Still, any reduction in calories can lead to weight loss, experts told The Independent in July
“This is no different to any other diet,” University of Lancashire lecturer Vassiliki Sinopoulou said
Of course, everyone’s health is different
One recent study suggested that long gaps between meals could have different effects on older adults – especially those in the oldest age groups
That study of nearly 3,000 Swedish seniors over the age of 60 showed that people who went the longest without eating developed chronic diseases faster than those who had shorter gaps between meals
“This does not mean that fasting causes disease in old age, nor that every older person should avoid long intervals without food,” Adrián Carballo Casla, a postdoctoral researcher in geriatric epidemiology at the German Karolinska Institutet, wrote this month
“But it does raise questions about whether advice based on studies of younger and middle-aged adults can be safely applied to older age groups,” he added
