Intermittent fasting is often divided into 4 types: Time restricted feeding (TRF); alternate day fasting (ADF); modified alternate day fasting with a limit of more than 60% of energy on fasting days (alternate day modified fasting (ADMF), fasting 2 days a week (2DW).
Intermittent fasting has become popular recently, alongside other diets.
A popular time-restricted feeding (TRF) style is the 16/8 style, where you eat during an 8-hour window and fast completely for the other 16 hours of the day. Intermittent fasting has been shown to improve several health markers, including blood pressure, HbA1C, body mass index, and triglycerides. The three main theories explaining this effect are:
Ketosis Hypothesis : When total calorie intake is reduced, fat metabolism is promoted and fat storage is reduced, insulin sensitivity is increased, HDL is increased, and LDL is decreased.
Oxidative Stress Hypothesis : Reduction of inflammatory factors associated with reduced energy and mitochondrial oxidative reactions.
Circadian Clock Hypothesis : Related to the body's physiological digestive process, which is very sensitive to the time of day when eating, and requires periods of fasting to optimize the digestive process. Research shows that intermittent fasting increases the sensitivity of the NR1D1 gene, which reduces fat accumulation in the liver and adipose tissue, and reduces inflammatory factors.
Compared with recommendations for continuous energy restriction (CER) for overweight and obese subjects (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m 2 , studies conducted over 8 weeks), intermittent fasting (ADF or TRF) was equally effective in weight loss. Another study also suggested an effect of intermittent fasting on the gut microbiota. TRF restored the circadian rhythm of the Lactobacillus and Ruminococcaceae bacterial families, suggesting a hypothesis against metabolic disorders in obesity.
In any diet, consult a specialist when necessary.
There are many studies showing the benefits of intermittent fasting, however, there are also studies showing harmful effects. When fasting for a long time, the body will have a mechanism to self-digest the intestinal mucosa, which means reducing the number of beneficial bacteria needed for the digestive process. One of the hormones that decreases during intermittent fasting is leptin, the body's "hunger hormone". The decrease in this hormone signals the hypothalamus to indicate hunger, and at the same time makes it more difficult to control emotions such as anger.
In addition, when leptin decreases for a long time, the body's hunger stimulation threshold also decreases. Over time, you will not have the need to be hungry or crave food, which is an effect to note.
Therefore, to apply the intermittent fasting method, you should give your body time to adapt from a few weeks to a few months. You can start with the 12/12 regimen for the first few weeks, then gradually increase it to the 16/8 mark.
Intermittent fasting also requires the advice and support of a specialist, when the patient has accompanying medical problems, and must use medication on a daily basis. In any diet, the important thing is the body's reaction to change, do not let a method become extreme for your body, consult a specialist when necessary.
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