Research details and main findings

During intermittent fasting, you only eat for 6 to 8 hours each day and fast for the remaining 16 to 18 hours. This diet has grown in popularity over the past decade, with several studies suggesting it can help with weight loss, reduce the risk of certain diseases, lower blood pressure, and more.

For analysis, the following researchers Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine In China, we investigated information on dietary patterns from: CDC2003 and 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. They also compared this data to people who died in the United States from 2003 to December 2019. Mortality data were obtained from the CDC’s National Mortality Index database.

The average age of the nearly 20,000 adults was 49 years, with a median follow-up of 8 years. The longest follow-up period was 17 years.

Overall, researchers found that people who typically ate their entire meal in less than eight hours a day had a 91% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. This increased risk was also seen in people with heart disease and cancer.

For people with pre-existing cardiovascular disease, eating 8 to 10 hours a day was associated with a 66% increased risk of death from stroke or heart disease.

In general, time-restricted eating did not reduce participants’ overall risk of death from any cause. However, eating more than 16 hours a day was associated with a lower risk of cancer death in cancer patients.

“I was surprised to learn that people who followed an eight-hour time-restricted eating schedule were more likely to die from cardiovascular disease,” said Victor Wenze, professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.・Zon said. Tong University School of Medicine and senior author of the study. “While this type of diet has been popular due to its potential short-term benefits, our study found that the typical mealtime range is 12 to 16 hours per day. It has been clearly shown that there is no association between shorter life and longer life.”

So far, this analysis has not been peer-reviewed or published in an academic journal. The researchers also acknowledged that the study had some limitations, including the use of self-reported dietary information and the fact that it did not take into account the nutritional value of the foods consumed.

Explanation

Experts say it’s too early to make specific recommendations for intermittent fasting based on this analysis alone.

“This study, while informative, should be considered exploratory,” said Harlan Krumholz, a leading expert on health policy improvement science. yale university university. “We’re still learning about how people can optimize their diets. This study is not so much a scaremonger for people who think dietary restriction is a useful strategy as it is an invitation for further research. It’s a calling.”

According to Zhong, “Practicing intermittent fasting for short periods of time, such as three months, may have benefits in weight loss and improving cardiometabolic health.” However, for longer periods of time, such as several years, He added that “great caution should be taken” when it comes to intermittent fasting over a period of time.

Similarly, Research Professor Benjamin Horne mountain healththat this analysis “does not change my view that there are clear benefits to fasting, but it is a warning that we need to be aware of the clear and potentially significant negative effects.” Stated.

While intermittent fasting may have long-term benefits, the increased stress of fasting may pose a short-term risk of heart disease, especially in more vulnerable groups. “In the long term, you can reduce your risk factors for heart disease and risk factors like diabetes, but in the short term, your body is actually at risk while doing that. There is a higher risk of problems occurring,” Horn said.

Penny Chris Etherton, Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Sciences pennsylvania state university Members of the American Heart Association’s nutrition committee also urged people to be cautious with intermittent fasting until more is known about the health effects.

“You may want to consider pausing intermittent fasting until more information is available or research findings are better explained,” she says. (Bendix, NBC News, 3/18; Nazzaro, the hill, March 18th. American Heart Association Press Release, 3/18. helper, statistics, 3/19)