Intermittent Fasting Shows Promise for Weight loss and improved Metabolic Health in new research

The umbrella review, published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, found that IF, particularly TRE, was especially beneficial for overweight and obese adults.

Intermittent fasting, which involves alternating between periods of eating and fasting, has gained popularity due to its simplicity and potential health benefits. Among the various approaches to IF, TRE, which restricts eating to a specific time window each day, has been found to offer significant improvements in weight loss and metabolic health markers. Studies suggest that TRE can lead to reductions in body fat, improved insulin sensitivity, and better control of blood sugar levels, all of which contribute to a healthier metabolic profile.

Against the above background, Zixin Hua MPharm, Department of Pharmacy, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China, and colleagues provide a comprehensive and updated evaluation of the quality and evidence linking intermittent fasting (IF) to various health outcomes based on existing studies.

For this purpose, the researchers conducted a systematic search across PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases, covering literature up to June 2024. The review included meta-analyses and systematic reviews involving adult populations that quantitatively analyze health outcomes related to intermittent fasting (IF) interventions. For studies with complete data, the researchers reanalyzed the effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals using random-effects models.

The quality of the articles and the certainty of the evidence were assessed using the A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR-2), the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system, and a standardized credibility grading system.

The following were the key findings:

• Twelve meta-analysis studies and 122 health outcome associations with intermittent fasting (IF) were identified.
• High-quality evidence showed significant associations between time-restricted eating (TRE) and weight loss, fat mass reduction, and decreases in fasting insulin and glycosylated hemoglobin levels in overweight or obese adults.
• High-quality evidence also indicated an association between the 5:2 diet and reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.
• Moderate-to-low-quality evidence suggested that modified alternate-day fasting improved body weight, lipid profile, and blood pressure.
• High-to-low-quality evidence demonstrated that IF regimens effectively improved liver health in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

The authors of this umbrella review emphasize that intermittent fasting, particularly time-restricted eating (TRE), is a promising intervention for weight and metabolic health, with notable benefits for overweight or obese adults. However, they also stress the need for further extensive research to explore the long-term effects, individualized IF plans, and potential adverse outcomes in diverse populations.

Reference:

Hua Z, Yang S, Li J, Sun Y, Liao Y, Song S, Cheng S, Li Z, Li Z, Li D, Guo H, Yang H, Zheng Y, Li X. Intermittent fasting for weight management and metabolic health: An updated comprehensive umbrella review of health outcomes. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2024 Dec 1. doi: 10.1111/dom.16092. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39618023.