Does Intermittent Fasting work?!

Intermittent Fasting: does it even work? A new study casts doubt on Intermittent Fasting, but is it robust? A look at the science on Intermittent Fasting.

Intermittent Fasting is incredibly popular. People report weight loss, improved glucose metabolism, lower cholesterol, etc

Just less calories or specific benefit of fasting?

is eating less every day just as good as fasting, or does fasting deliver some special benefit?

popular books promise specific benefits of fasting, autophagy, and therefore we should all fast to get those benefits

when matching for calories, Intermittent Fasting wasn't any better than eating less calories

so who’s right? What’s the truth?

new study had volunteers fast without caloric deficit. does fasting deliver special metabolic benefit aside from calories?

2nd expt: 2 groups eat 25% less calories, one fasting, one not, if fasting is special we should see an advantage of the intermittent fasting group

intermittent fasting protocol inhibited fat loss
Why would they lose less fat if they’re eating the same calories?

fasted group had less physical activity. not an absolute limitation of fasting. "main practical message if planning to use alternate-day fasting is to consciously insert physical activity”

meta-analysis: intermittent fasting vs continuous energy restriction:
“no apparent superiority of a dietary regimen”

meta: intermittent fasting comparable to continuous energy restriction

review: intermittent fasting appears equivalent to daily energy restriction

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Disclaimer: The contents of this video are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, nor to replace medical care. The information presented herein is accurate and conforms to the available scientific evidence to the best of the author's knowledge as of the time of posting. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding any medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of information contained in Nutrition Made Simple!.

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[PerryRadau]

The psychological benefit of time-restricted eating (e.g. 16:8) is the reason for the popularity and often not emphasized in papers. For myself and apparently many others, it is far easier to limit the hours of eating than to restrain yourself during a meal. Simple rules are the best rules for habit formation.

[CoolStoryJo]

I think a lot of the appeal of IF is that it is likely not bad for you, at a minimum, and is really convenient. Also, I know this is just an anecdote, but I find I can think more clearly when I haven't had food yet, and I have read many other ppl saying the same thing.

[ritamorim]

Obrigada, Dr Gil Carvalho, o melhor em nutriçao!

[chazdomingo]

I do OMAD. It works for me because it eliminates the option of snacking. I also feel like it "shrinks" my stomach. I will get full at my one meal sitting quicker it seems. Whereas when I eat regularly it can often seem like my stomach is a bottomless pit.

[bakrantz]

Odds are if you cut down your eating window you will consume fewer calories, which can be beneficial.

[BannorPhil]

I just couldn't be bothered with assessing and weighing my food each meal each day, so I started Intermittent Fasting (as per the Micheal Mosely documentary aired on the BBC some years ago), specifically to reduce my IGF-1 levels. I'm concerned with NOT contracting Parkinsons and other age-related diseases in the coming decades, and not so much about weight loss. For me IF is just so much more convenient, I just don't eat for 2 (or 3, depending on my body mass) out of every 7 days. It's simple, nothing to remember, nothing to worry about. Been doing it for 7 or 8 years now, my annual blood checks are always good. Plus, for 2 or 3 days each week, there's NO cooking! :)

[AdrianWells]

The biggest "special" advantage to time restricted eating over regular caloric restriction for me is that it helps me manage hunger better.

[edwardpetersen]

I engage in intermittent fasting which to me is fasting 16 hours per day. This still leaves me 8 hours in which to eat. And certainly part of the idea was to reduce calories. But also gives my organs and digestive system a rest. I lost 15 pounds and noticeable body fat. I'm keeping it off, not to mention I feel better. It's a way to eat I can stay on for the rest of my life. I get plenty of protein and have always worked out.

[isabellezablocki]

Fasting is not all about weight loss for me. It's about resting my system and getting regenerated. I feel amazing after my one day of fasting of the week. I sleep better and I have very vivid dreams. The next day I have a lot of energy and even a much better mood.
I did my first fasting (a week) 30 years ago before it was trendy.

[kevinleon]

Could you please make a video over intermittent and extended fasting that DOESNT have to do only with weight loss. I think a lot of us here would like to hear your thoughts on fasting for other benefits like metabolic rest and potential for immune system benefits. Thank you! 😌

[curtiss]

IF worked for me I lost 77 pounds in 9 months I was 235 pounds got down to 158 pounds, my A1C was 13.5 after the 9 months it was reduced to 5 and I was able to exercise and run 8 miles at the age of 59 years old the same distance that I trained for track and field in the off season when I was 18 years old in high school after 41 years, intermittent fasting works and it has made me a skeptic because it’s free and so many people have gotten tremendous benefits and I feel medical professionals who trash it maybe in bed with big pharma, and the food companies because it threatens their bottom line, I’m off my diabetes, high blood pressure medications if more people do IF and see those results big pharma and the food industry they would go bankrupt .

[fabianaubry]

Hello!
What do you think about the benefits of long fastings?
My own experience was pretty positive. I fast for 13 days when I was told about the return of a lymphoma cancer 7 years ago, the results on the tep scanner were very interesting, with the disappearance of most of the traces in the body (sorry about my lack of english vocabulary in this field :) )
Greetings from France

[HeadbangersKitchen]

*** Dr. Jason Fung has entered the chat ***

[brandonweigel]

Saying that you're intermittent fasting is a great way to get out of eating garbage on social occasions or work. When someone brings in donuts and cookies, and you're the only one not eating them, saying you're IF works great!

[gordonbrown]

Doing a 22.5/1.5 OMAD time restricted schedule has been a God send for me. No calorie counting & at least 90% plant based. The only sugar I use is in my morning coffee and very little then, once a day. Have lost 127 lbs. so far over 18 months. In 100% agreement with Perry.

[kkenmore]

Assuming all forms of calorie restriction are equal, one thing that isn’t being discussed is sustainability. Restricting calories is excruciating for me. I’m eating food I’m not terribly fond of and I stop eating arbitrarily, often when I’m still hungry. It’s excruciating and miserable. Then I find the resistance to snacking extremely difficult. With IF (16:8) my eating is time restricted, not calorie restricted. When I’m not eating, I simply don’t eat. I don’t have to worry about healthy snacks or overeating between meals. When I do eat, I eat until I am satisfied. For me, IF is far more sustainable way to restrict calories and manage my diet.

[deanrobertnoble]

Having IBS initiated by Gilbert’s Syndrome, i find the fasting can rest my digestive system and allow me to break an attack and get some respite. It feels like it resets things somewhat.

Great videos; thankyou!

[elisabethvismans]

I feel great with IF (18/6 and 20/4), low carb/no sugar. No bloating, clarity of mind, and I feel great. Not overweight just doing it to feel better. Don’t like sweet food so that helps.
I’ve done IF for most of my life. Didn’t know it was IF.

[gummiesrule]

Intermittent fasting for me has been THE way to cut caloric consumption, because I've learned to adapt to the initial feelings of hunger in ways other than stuffing my face. Over time, and not all that much time, I've grown to be comfortable living this way, and am comparatively free of food cravings as a result. Hungry never means really ravenous any more.

I don't think I could have done this on a high-carb diet, however. Cut carbs, don't fear the right fats, eat enough protein and do weights, not just cardio--that has been my recipe.

In this way, IF certainly CAN be "superior" to just cutting calories on a continuous eating schedule--despite the technical conclusion to the contrary of some studies--because it is far less likely to result in a feeling of regular deprivation, simpler in execution, and not a struggle at all to continue indefinitely--at least for those of us who have adopted it. That may well be why it is popular. I vary my fasts as they fit the day. Basically never shorter than 16 hours, never longer than 24. Probably average in the 19-21 range. 1-2 meals in the "feeding window." When I do eat, I don't worry at all about total calories--just try to get the right balance of healthy, broadly spread and sourced low-carb foods, more or less on each meal, with plenty of fiber. The one thing I don't do, though, because I have a family, is eat my main meal earlier in the day in harmony with my "circadian rhythm." Instead, it's during a early dinner with the gang, and I don't eat for several hours thereafter before bed. I also do have about 4 eggs/week, though, and also eat animal protein, usually but not always lean, without worrying very much about either. Bio markers all in good ranges so far. In fact, almost all of them are better than the last time I had a panel, before starting IF. LDL cholesterol is up somewhat, but still well within the normal range.

Living this way, I've dropped 30 pounds or so. I actually don 't know the exact number because I tried IF not so much to lose weight, but to gain more control in my relationship with food, so I didn't even weigh myself when I started. I wasn't clinically obese, or even close to it, but I wanted to feel more in charge of my hunger. And IF has done the trick for me.

I've ended up pretty lean by any reasonable measure, so now it's just maintenance. I'm interested to see whether I can add muscle tissue on IF. We'll see.

[pavelchorda]

Thanks 🙏🏻, obviously because of the different metabolism, rats and human cannot be compared, 16 hours fasting for a 🐀 is a tremendous metabolic challenge.
IF brings a re-education of the bad eating habits we have developed in the last 40 years.