Two Daily Time Restrictive Diets Found To Be Effective For Weight Loss

Aug, 2020 - By SMI

A research team from UIC (University of Illinois at Chicago) has recently published a study which suggests that following two fasting diets everyday can help in weight loss.

The team published results from clinical trials which had compared two time restrictive diets for a timeframe of 4 hours and 6 hours with a control group. According to corresponding author, Krista Varady from the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Applied Health Sciences, the recent human study is the first one to compare the effect of two popular types of fasting diets on the BMI and risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. Participants in the 4-hour fasting group consumed food between 1 pm and 5 pm, and participants in the 6-hour group consumed food between 1 pm and 7pm. Participants in both groups were permitted to eat any food as they pleased during their respective study duration of 4 and 6 hours, and while fasting, they could only consume water and beverages which were free of any calories. Participants in the control group were asked to retain their weight and not make any alterations to their diet and physical activity patterns.

Factors such as weight, blood pressure, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, triglycerides, inflammatory markers, HDL and LDL cholesterol levels were recorded for a period of 10 weeks. The results showed that calorie intake of participants in both fasting groups decreased by 550 calories every day and around 3% of the body weight was reduced by following the schedule. Moreover, levels of oxidative stress and insulin resistance in the participants had dropped compare to the participants in the control group. However, no effect was found on blood pressure, HDL and LDL cholesterol levels, and triglycerides. There was no stark difference in loss of body weight or risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders in both fasting groups.