No better
Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center and Heidelberg University Hospital conducted the largest study to date on the effectiveness of the diet by the method of interval fasting – HELENA. Based on the data obtained, they concluded that interval fasting is effective for weight loss and recovery, but it does not have any significant advantages over conventional diets aimed at calorie restriction. In this regard, scientists recommend choosing a diet individually in accordance with the tasks and needs of the body.
The interval fasting diet is also known as the "16:8 diet" and the "5:2 diet". These names reflect its essence: a person first eats without restrictions for a while, and then starves for a certain period of time. 16:8 and 5:2 are the most popular varieties. The first involves fasting 8 hours after 16 hours without restrictions, and the second involves fasting two days a week.
As part of the HELENA study, scientists observed 150 overweight subjects for one year. Previously, the participants of the experiment were randomly (randomly) divided into three groups. The first group adhered to a traditional diet with limited calorie intake (reducing daily calories by 20 percent), the second group ate according to the 5:2 interval scheme, which also allowed saving 20 percent of calories per week, and the participants from the third group did not adhere to any specific dietary schemes, but they were recommended a balanced diet, approved by the German Nutrition Society. After 38 weeks, the researchers assessed the condition of the subjects using a specialized MRI technique.
According to the results of this experiment, scientists came to the conclusion that if both diets are followed, the result is the same. All the subjects lost weight, and their health indicators improved: the amount of visceral fat, as well as excess fat in the liver, decreased. Moreover, the health benefits turned out to be significant even with a small weight loss. For example, those who lost only 5% of excess weight during the experiment also got rid of 20% of dangerous visceral fat and more than a third of liver fat – again, these results did not depend on the type of diet.
This study does not confirm the rosy hopes of the adherents of the interval fasting method, but it convincingly indicates that choosing a weight loss strategy and following it is much more important than what method a person decided to lose weight by.
Article by Schübel et al. Effects of intermittent and continuous calorie restriction on body weight and metabolism over 50 wk: a randomized controlled trial published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Anastasia Poznyak, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru / based on the materials of Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum: Intermittent fasting: No advantage over conventional weight loss diets.