Intermittent Fasting: A picture painted holier than thou?, Health News, ET HealthWorld
By Prathiba Raju and Abhishek BhatiaNew Delhi: Deliberate or not, social media influencers have popularised many trends, from fast fashion, viral challenges, and memes to light-hearted reels and experimental diets. These are often short-lived trends that spread rapidly across new media platforms. Amidst the severe longevity crisis, as what is popular today might not be popular tomorrow, a few trends in the world of the Internet still havent been outshined. One such is the widely articulated intermittent fasting (IF) that became 2019s fad diet, attracting media glare and celebrity endorsements. Chris Hemsforth, Terry Crews, Beyonce, Hugh Jackman, Miranda Kerr, and the long list of celebrities have publicly lauded the idea of time-restricted feeding. But there is a scarcity of research to back up the propagated benefits of the fad diet. The idea of IF has been around for ages and is deeply rooted in its association with not just healthy living but with spirituality and cultural beliefs. Modern research claims that IF may have many benefits, i.e., weight loss, metabolic boost, detoxification, reduced inflammation, and enhanced cellular repair mechanisms. Apart from the social media hype and popular culture, many believe IF still has a lot to prove to gain back its glory due to an existing crunch in data-driven scientific studies on its potential health benefits, including insulin sensitivity, blood sugar control, and cholesterol levels in humans. Reaffirming this, Shalini Arvind, Chief Dietician, Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru, while speaking to ETHealthworld, mentioned that all the health benefits of intermittent fasting that are claimed, can be achieved by following a conventional diet, with consistency. "The benefits of intermittent fasting have been observed in experimental rodents and extrapolated to humans, but research on human subjects is inconclusive. Individuals who are diabetics, have any other medical conditions, are above the age of 65, are still in their growing years, are on medications, or are pregnant or lactating must avoid venturing into intermittent fasting," cautioned Arvind. Rising trend: IF a counter to sedentary lifestyle? The bodys metabolism slows down post-sunset, and eating a meal late at night has been shown to have a negative impact on the gut microbiota, sleep quality, and metabolism, explained Mariam Lakdawala, Nutrition Consultant, Dr Aparnas Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery Centre, Mumbai. "This kind of disturbance leads to increased fat accumulation, inflammation, and insulin resistance, which predisposes one to develop obesity, type II diabetes mellitus, increased bad cholesterol and triglycerides, and heart disease," said Lakdawala. Agreeing that there has been a rising trend among people following IF, Ritika Samaddar, Regional Head - South Zone, Dietetics, Nutrition, and Dietetics, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, said, "Especially seen during COVID times, when people were working from home, they found it convenient to not only monitor what they were eating, but also help in monitoring the time. The results were good in terms of weight loss and also in remission of certain medical issues like diabetes, fatty liver, etc." A review published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics examined adherence rates to dietary interventions in overweight and obese individuals and revealed that as few as 14 per cent stuck with their diet plans. Forget about staying hungry for hours, following a dietketogenic, mediterranean, veganism, low-fat or carbs, high-protein in itself has been a challenge for people globally. Cravings, mood swings, hormonal imbalances, stress, and fatigue can all make it difficult to stay consistent on a diet. Historically done for religious reasons, fasting has now become a popular way to lose weight, Ruchika Jain, Chief Clinical Nutritionist, Fortis Hospital, expressed one of the reasons behind the growing popularity of IF. She explained, "One doesnt have to change what they eat or when to eat." IF enables individuals to set their own eating window and make their own food choices within the chosen time frame, making it adaptable to busy schedules or lifestyles. Scientific explanation behind benefits attributed to intermittent fasting Due to restrictive eating during IF, insulin levels go down, and fat cells can then release their stored sugar, to be used as energy. Jain, said, "The metabolic switch, i.e., to allow insulin levels to go down far enough and long enough that we burn off our fat, which will lead to weight loss, improve insulin sensitivity and it triggers several cellular functions. Flipping the switch from a fed to fasting state help us to burn more calories and lose weight." The researchers combed through dozens of animal and human studies to explain how simple fasting improves metabolism, lowers blood sugar levels, lessens inflammation, and even helps clear out toxins and damaged cells, which lowers the risk of cancer and enhances brain function. Although the scientific explanation behind the benefits attributed to IF is still being studied, several theories have been proposed. "Another theory suggests that intermittent fasting activates cellular repair processes in the body. During fasting, a cellular stress response is triggered, leading to increased production of proteins that repair and protect cells. This cellular repair mechanism may have anti-ageing effects and help protect against certain diseases," informed Dr Varsha Gorey, Senior Clinical Dietitian, Apollo Hospitals. Furthermore, experts suggest that IF has been shown to induce autophagy, a process in which cells break down and recycle damaged components. Autophagy may play a role in reducing inflammation, improving cellular function, and promoting overall health. "By making one eat fewer meals, a reduction in total calorie intake becomes easier. Prolonged fasting causes an increase in insulin levels, growth hormones, and norepinephrine, which cause the breakdown of fat. Thus, a lot of people are practising it as it has been shown to cause weight loss," voiced Lakdawala. Controversial: IF sound strategy for weight loss, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases Several studies have indicated that intermittent fasting can lead to weight loss and improvements in insulin sensitivity, blood sugar control, and lipid profiles. "Accumulating human research does not demonstrate that IF is better than calorie restriction for weight loss, and theres no good evidence that either method produces long-term weight loss," said Jain, dismissing the idea. Many medical specialists suggest IF can be beneficial for weight loss and may have positive effects on chronic metabolic diseases such as diabetes. A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2019 examined the effects of time-restricted feeding (TRF) on metabolic health, including lipid profiles. The study involved overweight individuals who followed an 8-hour eating window for 12 weeks. The results showed imp
Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at 10:20 am