Alternate-Day Fasting Linked with Weight Loss

Alternate day fasting can help dieters lose almost 8lbs in four weeks, according to a new study.

Volunteers were required to starve for 36 hours before being allowed to spend 12 hours indulging in anything they wished.

Overall, their calorie consumption decreased by more than one-third, helping them to shed body fat without losing the food they enjoyed.

They also had lower levels of chemicals in the body which have been linked to age-related diseases or inflammation.

'Findings'

Scientists in Austria believe that this way is easier to lose weight than counting calories because some find it less restrictive.

Thomas Pieber of the Medical University of Graz and co-author said: “Why exactly calorie restriction and fasting induce so many beneficial effects is not fully clear yet,”

“'The elegant thing about strict ADF is that it doesn't require participants to count their meals and calories: they just don't eat anything for one day,” he added.

In recent years there has been a surge of research into fasting diets, including intermittent fasting, 5:2 diet and alternate-day fasting (ADF).

Advocates claim they have lost weight as well as seen their stress reduce and energy rise.

They were also asked to fill in diaries documenting their fasting days.

Professor Harald Sourij, co-author said: "We found on average, during the 12 hours when they could eat normally, the participants in the ADF group compensated for some of the calories lost from the fasting, but not all,"

Overall, participants following the diet consumed 37% fewer calories and lost an average of 7.7lbs (3.5kg) and had slightly less belly fat.

The researchers found several other positive effects not linked to weight.

They noted that ADF is 'one of the most extreme diet interventions', but potentially is more successful than just cutting calories.

However, calorie-restrictive diets – where a person keeps within a calorie limit per day – can result in malnutrition, the researchers said.

There is also evidence it can compromise the immune system by reducing white blood cells.

ADF does not appear to threaten the immune system this way, supporting previous findings.

Despite the findings, the researchers do not recommend embarking on ADF for long periods until more research is done.

"We advise people not to fast if they have a viral infection because the immune system probably requires immediate energy to fight viruses," Co-author Professor Frank Madeo said.

The researchers plan to study the effects of strict ADF in different groups of people including people with obesity and diabetes in the future.

The study was published in the journal Cell Metabolism.