Intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating pattern that holds you back from consuming extra calories for an extended period. It is a very popular eating pattern these days, especially, among those keen to lose weight. Here are 6 benefits of intermittent fasting:
Most of the people who try intermittent fasting do it to lose weight. This is because intermittent fasting not only boosts your metabolic rate but it also reduces the amount of calories you eat. A study in 2014 stated that intermittent fasting can help lose 3-8% weight in 3-24 weeks.
According to a 2021 review in the Annual Review of Nutrition, the benefits of intermittent fasting include lowering LDL or bad cholesterol. It reduces the presence of triglycerides which can lead to heart-related diseases.
According to a review published in 2018 in Nature Reviews: Cancer, fasting can reduce cancer risk by slowing down the ability of cancer cells to adapt and spread, and improving the effects of cancer treatment.
Intermittent fasting lowers blood pressure but for a short period. A study published in Nutrition and Healthy Ageing in 2018 found that a 16:8 diet significantly decreased the systolic blood pressure in the participant.
It is also believed that people on intermittent fasting sleep better and is attributed to the specific diet they follow. This is because intermittent fasting regulates the circadian rhythm, which determines sleep patterns.
Studies have found that during intermittent fasting, the pro-inflammatory markers were lower than usual and so were blood pressure and body weight.
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