Fasting might be good for your healh, research says
Mimicking starvation for five days per month could reduce the effect of aging and help fight certain diseases like hypertension, according to a new study published Wednesday.
In a study of 100 participants, half ate normally for most of the month but then consumed between 700 - 1,100 calories per day for five consecutive days in what researchers called a "fasting-mimicking" diet. Participants, most of whom were overweight but not obese, repeated the fasting process for six months. The other half of participants ate normally.
By the end of the study, dieters lost an average of 5.7 pounds (2.6 kilograms). Weight loss was not the only benefit researchers noticed ? health metrics such as blood pressure was also reduced.
The research was funded by the National Institute of Aging and the National Cancer Institute and published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The research was led by scientists at the University of Southern California.
"Body weight, BMI, total body fat, trunk fat, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, cholesterol, insulin?like growth factor 1 (IGF?1) and C-Reactive Protein (a marker of inflammation) were significantly reduced, particularly in participants at risk for diseases, while relative lean body mass (muscle and bone mass) was increased," researchers said in the study. "Low levels of IGF-1 are associated with a lower risk of cancer and diabetes. No serious adverse effects were reported."
Fasting diets in which dieters consume only water or a very low amount of calories, are becoming popular, but researchers note those extreme diets are dangerous and difficult to maintain.
They believe the "fasting-mimicking" concept is safer and easier for dieters to endure. The team now wants to conduct a much larger study, especially because they found that those with the greatest risk of obesity-related disease received the biggest benefit.
"A larger study is needed to replicate these results, but they raise the possibility that fasting may be a practical road to a healthy metabolic system," researchers wrote.
Related News
Medication Management Tips
Red Heart Tea Recipe
How to exercise outdoors, when the smogs a killer
11 Realistic Methods of Stress Management
Dandelion Benefits Biodiversity, Soil and Your Health
Fruitylicious cure for ageing skin
Natural Herbal Gummies
Try these 4 simple yoga asanas to gain weight
Most Read
★Research reveals surprising health benefits of chewing your food
★Humans evolved to benefit from fermented foods
★10 Natural beauty tips for face you must try
★15 Best Heart-Healthy Foods
★The tangy taste of Banaras
★6 Foods You Can Incorporate In Your Fat Burner Diet For Best Results
★Women found to appear up to 20 years younger if they stay out of the sun
★23 foods that contain NO calories
★Weight-lifting and protein shakes rich in growth hormones may make you bald
★Tips to Even your Skin Tone Naturally
★How your make-up bag could wreck your health
★Healthiest Foods For Women
★Vitamin reverses aging in organs and muscles
★8 Time-Saving Meal Prep Ideas Nutritionists Actually Use
★8 Practical Tips to Lose Weight Without Dieting
★Breathe Right to Live a Healthier and Better Life
★Healthy eating
★9 Simple Yoga Asanas & Tips for Weight Loss
★5 Dairy-Free Cheese Options Worth Trying
★Best and Worst Drinks for Weight Loss
★Exercise can help boost memory through bone hormone: Study
★Man has lived with giant neck for 13 years after going to doctors for help
★Healthy food that tastes good too
★Study finds dramatic weight loss can be achieved WITHOUT counting calories
★8 Best Foods to Eat for Weight Loss
★Losing Weight in Hot Weather Made Easy
★Can high heels give you cancer?
★Ways to Use Honey for a Glowing Skin
★Study reveals alarming dangers of anti-ageing jabs
★How mood and eating behaviour are connected
★Know why milk should be a part of your beauty regimen
★Yoga Poses for People with Less Flexible Body
★Do you want to be paid for sleeping well at night?
★Wash Your Face with Oil
★Everyday Medications You Should Never Take When You Exercise
★Pasta eaters may have better diet quality: study
★How to prevent peanut allergies in children?
★How you should wash your face?
★Cancer warning over skin bleaching treatment
★The health benefits of popular foods
★5 DIY masks for your various hair concerns
★Cooking in aluminium pans may be dangerous for your health
★How To Achieve The Perfect Nail Shape
★Yoga Heals More than Just Your Body
★Natural Herbal Gummies
★Outdoor Activities to Lose Weight
★Cancer risk of breast implants 10 times higher than first feared
★Dandelion Benefits Biodiversity, Soil and Your Health
★Why and how exercises reduce the risk of CANCER?
★Why You Need to Start Combining Avocados and Peaches
