Fasting for Weight Loss and Health
What Scientific Research Says about Skipping Meals and Dieting
Dec 22, 2008
Used for centuries for physical and spiritual healing, fasting is now being studied scientifically. Results are mixed, but promising.
What are the Benefits of Fasting?
Fasting mice have been shown to live longer and become more resistant to cancer.
Research shows hope for positive effects (better health) with Huntington's disease, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes, blood pressure and weight loss. However, some studies show no or negative effects (worse health) on blood pressure and weight loss.
Can the Results be Trusted?
More than one study has been done, most on animals and a few on humans. Studies do show overall health benefits, though some health indicators are negative or inconclusive (see blood pressure and weight loss above).
These are rigorous, scientific studies, analyzed statistically and published in professional journals. However few or no long-term studies on humans have been done.
What kind of Fasting?
Research has been done on a few types of fasts:
- Alternate day fasts, where subjects don't eat for one day and eat the next day
- One meal a day fasts, where subjects eat once a day (within a four hour period)
- One day a month fasts, where subjects fast for one day every month
Is Fasting the Same as Calorie Restriction?
Not exactly.
Calorie restriction - eating 1/4 to 1/3 less than normal - has been more thoroughly researched (decades) than fasting (years). Scientists are therefore more certain of the benefits of calorie restriction (sometimes called caloric restriction).
It is suspected that calorie restriction and fasting might work in the same way on the body.
Fasting is interesting because it might be easier for people to fast than to eat less (improve health without losing weight) or fasting might make it easier for people to eat less (improve health and lose weight).
Should Everyone Start Fasting?
It should be stressed that more research into fasting needs to be carried out. Researchers are naturally cautious about asking people to make drastic changes to their eating habits without concrete evidence. Unfortunately, concrete evidence will take years and not everyone is willing to wait that long.
Anyone who decides to try fasting, should check with his doctor. Especially if one suffers from diabetes or some other condition.
Staying at a spa can be a pleasant way to start fasting. There are vacation spas that offer fasting programs. The gentler programs include fruit juice. The most extreme allow only water to be consumed.
Resources
- Research on Low Carbohydrate Diets. Do High Protein Diets work and are they Healthy.
- Alternate-day fasting and chronic disease prevention: a review of human and animal trials.
- Meal Skipping Helps Rodents Resist Diabetes, Brain Damage
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