Scientists have named the most effective diet for weight loss

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Intermittent fasting has become a real trend. However, not much was known about its true impact on weight loss. A new review has shown that this eating format does promote weight loss and may improve certain indicators of heart health. Intermittent fasting is a group of diets that involve fasting for varying periods of time.

“New research shows that different forms of intermittent fasting are effective weight-loss interventions for people with obesity,” says study author Krista Varady, director of the Human Nutrition Research Division at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

She emphasized that intermittent fasting may be an effective way to reduce heart disease risk by lowering blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Furthermore, these diets may help prevent type 2 diabetes by reducing insulin resistance and fasting insulin levels. Most of these benefits are likely related to weight loss.

“Intermittent fasting helps reduce calorie intake by 15 to 30 percent per day, which leads to weight loss,” Varady notes. “When an obese person loses weight, they almost always have lower LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and insulin resistance.”

For the review, the researchers analyzed 11 studies on intermittent fasting. When the scientists looked at all the studies, they found that this eating approach did indeed lead to weight loss and improvements in heart health risk factors. However, only alternate-day fasting and the 5:2 diet led to clinically meaningful weight loss of more than 5%.