Health benefits of intermittent fasting | Fusion - WeRIndia

Intermittent fasting is one of the popular methods now. This fasting method involves switching between eating and fasting regularly.

The diet plan focuses on when to eat rather than what to eat, which is followed in normal diet plans. That means people will eat only during a specific time in intermittent fasting.

Two types of intermittent fasting are popular. One is 16:8, and another is 5:2. In 16:8, you need to eat all your meals in an 8-hour window and fast for 16 hours.

On the other hand, in 5:2, you can eat normally for five days of a week and fast for the remaining two days. During fasting, low-calorie food items like fruits, soups, eggs etc., are allowed up to 500 calories per day. Some people follow an alternate-day fasting method.

Intermittent fasting has the following benefits:

• Intermittent fasting helps improves metabolism. Also, it helps lose weight and visceral fat. A few studies found that it benefits in the short term. Participants in the study lose up to 15 per cent of their weight immediately. The studies conclude that its benefits are not clear in the long term.
• It helps reduce blood pressure. It also can lower cholesterol, especially LDL cholesterol. Thus, it helps prevent cardiovascular diseases and stroke.
• Some studies found that it acts as a protective mechanism for the brain to lower the risk of stroke. Also, it can help improve the chances of recovery from a stroke due to its anti-inflammatory effects.
• Intermittent fasting helps lower blood sugar levels. Some studies showed that it helped reduce fasting insulin by up to 30%. Also, it can reduce insulin resistance.
• It can reduce oxidative stress and cancer risk. Also, it helps reduce inflammation in the body.
• Intermittent fasting can build resistance against many age-related conditions. Hence, it may increase longevity. Some animal studies showed promising results in this regard.

Image Credit: Wilson Fisk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Source: what is intermittent fasting

Image Reference: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Intermittent_Fasting_101.jpg