Fasting has become more trendy and most people who try it do it for one reason - to lose weight. But that’s not all it does. Science finds all kinds of health benefits associated with different types of fasting. Even without changing the food you’re eating, controlling the time period that you consume calories can help with all kinds of things.
Ready to give it a try? These are some potential upsides to intermittent fasting, all backed by research:
It may help maintain muscle - A study from the University of Illinois finds that participants who lost weight with intermittent fasting lost less muscle than those who followed a calorie restriction diet.
It may target belly fat - Research shows overweight people who spent 12 weeks fasting for 14-hours a day saw a reduction in waist size and visceral abdominal belly fat.
It could reduce diabetes risk - That same study also shows intermittent fasting may lower the risk for metabolic diseases, like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. After 12 weeks of trying it, all of the participants saw improvements in the common markers of metabolic syndrome, including high blood sugar.
It could lower high blood pressure - Another study finds that participants who fasted for 16 hours, leaving an eight-hour window for eating, significantly reduced their systolic blood pressure after 12 weeks.
It may fight inflammation - Chronic inflammation can trigger heart disease and diabetes, and common causes of it are smoking and eating a steady diet of fried and sugary foods. Several studies show that intermittent fasting could have an anti-inflammatory effect that reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
It could even help you live longer - Intermittent fasting is easier to maintain than extreme calorie cutting and a study on rats finds that the ones who were fed every other day lived 83% longer than rats with unrestricted access to food.
Source: https://www.redbookmag.com/life/a37430148/intermittent-fasting-benefits
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