Review of interval fasting &171;every other day &187; and 3 proven facts about the benefits
Fasting "every other day" (English Alternate-day fasting or ADF) &8212; one of the most common types of periodic fasting.
The technique allows not only to burn fat, but also to reduce the risk of a number of diseases from the endocrine and cardiovascular systems, and increase overall life expectancy.
It is important to note that the diet has contraindications in which it can cause significant harm to the body.
Content
What is the essence of the technique?
Fasting every other day (also known as interval fasting 1:1) is a type of periodic fasting.
The basic idea is that one day you fast, and the next day you eat whatever you want. And so you repeat it any number of times.
At the same time, on fasting days, it is allowed to drink water, as well as tea or coffee without sugar. And on normal days, it is allowed to eat any food, while it is still desirable to limit the daily calorie content within the standard values. Dry fasting option (without drinking liquids) it is strongly not recommended.
A modified version of fasting every other day is more popular and safer. According to her , on the day of fasting, it is not necessary to completely exclude food, but you should eat about 20-25% of the recommended daily energy value (about 500 calories). At the same time, during the fasting period allowed eat at any time of the day. This does not affect the overall benefits of the diet for the human body in any way.
The founder of the modified version is Dr. Krista Varadi from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Under her leadership, a large number of studies have been conducted on the effect of this dietary pattern on the human body.
It is modified fasting with a restriction of the daily energy value on a fast day to 500 calories that has a significant evidence base, which we will discuss below.
Effectiveness for weight loss
Fasting every other day is an extremely effective way to lose weight.
Research demonstrates that in 12 weeks of dieting, body weight decreases by 3-8% or by 4.1-6.1 kg.
This type of intermittent fasting is especially effective for people aged 50-59 years. It is in this age group observed the greatest result from the diet.
There is no difference in weight change between men and women.
Proven that this diet is especially useful for people who are obese or overweight. Fasting allows you to reduce the percentage of abdominal fat (the most dangerous) and the concentration of inflammatory markers (C-RB, insulin-like growth factor 1) in the blood.
At the beginning of the diet, all subjects experience severe hunger, which decreases after 2-3 days and completely disappears on the 5th-6th day of fasting. Beginners are recommended to start fasting according to the scheme a day or two later, and then switch to the classic scheme day after day.
According to the data of the Center for Biomedical Research in Pennington (USA), it is much easier for a person to consume 500 calories during fasting than to completely give up food. This psychological aspect is extremely important, as it allows you to adhere to the methodology much longer.
Methodology allows maintain muscle mass, and only a small number of modern diets can boast of this.
3 useful properties
The diet has proven medicinal properties. The main points of impact are the endocrine and cardiovascular systems. The main ones are discussed below.
1. Prevention of type II diabetes mellitus
Type II diabetes mellitus is an extremely common disease. More than 30% of the population have a high risk of developing this pathology. Therefore, it is extremely important to adjust glucose levels and influence risk factors from an early age (from 25-35 years old).
Weight loss is one of the most effective ways to prevent diabetes mellitus, since the metabolism of adipose tissue is closely related to the metabolism of hormones and glucose in the body.
American specialists claim that fasting according to the 1/1 scheme really reduces the likelihood of developing pathology in overweight or obese people.
Also proven that the diet increases the sensitivity of peripheral tissue cells to insulin (fat and muscle), which ensures faster utilization of glucose from the blood. Insulin resistance is a key mechanism for the development of type II diabetes mellitus.
At the University of Illinois at Chicago (USA) installed that therapeutic fasting "every other day" in just 8-12 weeks reduces the level of insulin in the blood on an empty stomach by 20-31%, which reduces the likelihood of developing endocrine pathology by almost 4 times.
2. Improving the health of the cardiovascular system
Diseases of the heart and blood vessels are the most common cause of death in the world. Up to 25-40% (depending on the country) of people die from cardiovascular pathologies.
As already mentioned, the diet helps to reduce body weight, which reduces the number of vessels necessary for blood supply to adipose tissue cells, and, accordingly, the load on the heart. This circumstance is extremely important for people of older age groups.
This diet also corrects dyslipidemia. Experts note reduction of total cholesterol , as well as atherogenic lipids (LDL and TAG) by 25-32% in 2 months. As a result, reliable prevention of atherosclerosis is provided – damage to the vascular bed associated with such abnormalities as: coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, chronic cerebral ischemia, etc.
Proven that this fasting protocol also has an effect on blood pressure. The systolic and diastolic components decrease. The use of a diet against the background of antihypertensive therapy reduces the likelihood of hemorrhagic stroke, retinopathy, nephropathy, etc.
According to scientists , this power scheme contributes to the following effects:
- Reduction of body weight and waist circumference;
- Lowering blood pressure;
- Correction of dyslipidemia (reduction of total cholesterol, TAG and LDL).
3. Increasing life expectancy
The nutrition system "every other day" stimulates autophagy – the process of recycling "obsolete" cell components (organelles, macromolecules), which allows you to adapt to various changing conditions of existence.
This mechanism provides prevention of atrophic pathologies of the brain, heart muscle and infectious diseases.
Animal experiments show that prolonged and short-term fasting stimulates autophagy and prevents premature aging, as well as reduces the risk of malignant cell transformation.
Experts of the Sanders-Brown Research Center on Aging (USA) note Positive effects on Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and strokes.
One of the studies conducted back in 1986, demonstrated that such a diet increases the life expectancy of rodents, worms, yeast and flies.
What can I eat and drink?
This diet has no rules regarding specific foods and drinks.
The main thing is to monitor the daily calorie content: on the day of fasting – up to 500 calories, the next day – within the maximum recommended daily allowance, which can be calculated using the formulas:
- For men: BMR = 88.36 + (13.4 x weight, kg) + (4.8 x height, cm) – (5.7 x age, years);
- For women: BMR = 447.6 + (9.2 x weight, kg) + (3.1 x height, cm) – (4.3 x age, years).
During the fasting period, in order to reduce the feeling of hunger, food intake should be divided into 2-4 meals. Preference should be given to natural products rich in proteins, fiber, vitamins, macro- and microelements.
Below are several options for dishes that are ideal for fasting days:
- Vegetables;
- Fruits;
- Yoghurts with berries;
- Eggs;
- Lean meat with vegetables (chicken);
- Vegetable soups;
- Salads with fresh herbs;
- Fried or boiled fish.
Safety and contraindications
According to research, short-term fasting according to the 1/1 scheme is safe for most people.
At the same time, according to American scientists , the diet does not stimulate overeating the day after fasting.
In the early days, it is possible to develop a strong feeling of hunger, which, as mentioned above, disappears after a few days.
If the calorie content of the diet is insufficient (especially in combination with high physical activity), signs of "exhaustion" of the body may appear:
- Weakness;
- Vertigo;
- Unsteadiness when walking;
- Drowsiness;
- Decreased mental and physical performance;
- Photopsies (flashing of flies in front of the eyes).
The development of the described symptoms should serve as a reason for temporarily abandoning the diet and contacting a doctor.
It is also important to take into account contraindications, in the presence of which cyclic fasting can cause significant harm to the human body:
- Diseases of the digestive system (cholelithiasis, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum).
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Low body weight (BMI less than 18.5)
- Pathologies of the female reproductive system accompanied by infertility.
- Age less than 14 and over 75 years old.
- Hyperthyroidism.
- Chronic cardiac (IIb-III), liver or kidney failure.
- Cirrhosis and viral hepatitis.
- Hypertension (resistant to drug therapy)
- Type I diabetes mellitus.
Conclusion
- Fasting "every other day" is an effective way to reduce body weight, prevent the most common diseases of the cardiovascular and endocrine systems, and increase life expectancy.
- The technique involves alternating between regular days and days of fasting.
- Before starting, it is recommended to consult a doctor in order to exclude the presence of contraindications that negate all the positive properties of the technique.
- With the development of side effects, it is necessary to temporarily abandon interval fasting.
- The approach to the diet should be competent and well thought out!
