Is intermittent fasting better than a typical weight-loss diet?

“ Limited time ” Diet has become a popular weight loss strategy, but a new clinical trial has found that adding it to old-fashioned calorie reduction has no benefit

Time limited eating is a form of intermittent fasting. People limit themselves to eating within a specific time window every day. Outside that window, they swear everything except water or other calorie free drinks

Time limit has become a popular weight loss strategy, mainly because it is simple. People don’t have to work hard to calculate calories, just look at the clock. Small studies have shown that a limited eating window – six hours is a popular window – can help people lose some weight

In the new trial, the researchers tested whether adding time limits to traditional calorie counts had any additional weight loss benefits

According to the findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine on April 21, the verdict was “ No &rdquo

Chinese researchers found that when they asked a group of obese adults to reduce calories, the fasting group did not lose weight, whether or not they increased time and restricted diet

The good news is that both groups have been successful – losing an average of about 14 to 17 pounds in a year. They also lost body fat and trimmed a few inches from their waistlines, whether or not they used time limits

But experts say these findings do not actually show the effectiveness of time limiting diet itself

They pointed out that both research groups were instructed to reduce daily calories by 25% and were supported by an intensive program involving a health coach and maintaining a daily food diary

Therefore, it is difficult to demonstrate the additional benefits of a stratified time limited diet, according to blandine laferr &egrave, an endocrinologist and professor of medicine at Columbia University Irvine Medical Center in New York City; Dr. re said

Laferrè Re, co-author of an editorial, said the study demonstrated the power of calorie reduction

“ Calorie restriction helps you lose weight, ” She said

But according to laferr è According to re, the extent to which these results are applicable to people in the real world is debatable

Another American researcher who studies intermittent fasting agrees

“ The trial did not really test the time limited diet, ” Christa middot, Professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois at Chicago; Krista Varady said

Varadi explained that people turned to time limits for a simpler way to achieve the goal of reducing calories, rather than as an addition to calorie counting

If they find time limits a sustainable way to eat less, it may be useful for them, she said

“ The most important thing is to find something suitable for your lifestyle, ” Varadi said“ I don’t think a diet is better for everyone

Laferrè Re also pointed out an important feature of the trial patients: their daily eating window was quite narrow at the beginning. On average, they eat 10 hours of meals and snacks a day. During the trial, this was limited to eight hours – a relatively modest two-hour change

In contrast, laferr è Re said her study found that Americans usually eat longer every day – an average of 14 hours. Narrowing this window may have a greater impact on weight loss

In this study, researchers led by Dr. Deying Liu of Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China recruited 139 obese patients. They all started a low calorie diet, but half were randomly assigned to a time limit – only 8. 5 calories a day M to 4 p.m

A year later, weight loss was similar between the two groups – as were their blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar

Varadi said the advantage of the study is its relatively large scale and long follow-up time

“ But I don’t think this solves the problem of whether time limited diet is effective, ” She said

Previous small studies have shown that this strategy helps people lose weight. However, varadi said that the researchers have only studied for about five years, and there is still a lot to learn

At this point, for obese people, this strategy may be worth trying because they find it very attractive. However, varadi said some groups should avoid time limiting diets – including pregnant and lactating women, people with a history of eating disorders, and adults over the age of 70 (due to concerns about muscle loss)

She also suggests that people with diabetes should first talk to their doctor because they are taking drugs to control their blood sugar IQ