Published ,
Reading 3 mins.
Long considered an effective solution for losing weight, intermittent fasting is in fact no more effective than traditional methods based on calorie restriction. Explanations from Dr Laurent Chevallier, nutritionist at Montpellier University Hospital and in the clinic.
Popularized by many stars such as Jennifer Aniston or Nicole Kidman, intermittent fasting is a practice used to lose weight which consists of having your last evening meal at 8 p.m., for example, and not eating until noon the next day, i.e. fasting for 16 straight hours. Which leaves eight hours in the day to eat.
But according to a study published in the journal New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)the practice would not be more effective than a caloric restriction spread over the day.
A one-year comparative study
To reach this conclusion, the Chinese researchers chose to conduct a comparative study on 139 obese people. These volunteers had to restrict their caloric intake: between 1500 and 1800 calories per day for men and 1200 to 1500 calories daily for women.
The participants were then divided into two groups:
- one could take his meals whenever he wished;
- the other had to respect the time slot between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Same weight loss
Throughout the study, the volunteers wrote down what they ate and took pictures. Scientists followed them regularly to monitor their health and weigh them. After a year, all the volunteers had lost weight and lost between 6.4 and 8.2 kg. However, intermittent fasting did not provide any improvement over the conventional diet.
No significant difference
Indeed, no difference in weight loss was noted, nor even a difference in waist circumference or body mass index (BMI). Ditto for other indicators, such as body fat, insulin resistance or blood pressure. For scientists, calorie restriction “largely explains the effects of intermittent fasting“.
“These results simply show a trend”
Asked about this study, Dr. Laurent Chevallier, nutritionist, believes that the methodology followed does not really resemble intermittent fasting. “Besides the fact that the small number of participants does not make the results significant, the methodology used is quite surprising” explains the doctor. “Intermittent fasting is not normally used for weight loss. Moreover, in the context of this study, the conditions seem to me to be difficult to sustain in the long term and can even promote eating disorders” adds the specialist for whom the results simply indicate a trend and are not to be taken literally.
Intermittent fasting would have virtues
This remains to be proven, but intermittent fasting could have virtues. “The intermittent fasting I’m talking about is more of an extension of nocturnal fasting with a last meal taken at 6 p.m. and breakfast at 9 a.m. the next day. explains Laurent Chevallier. “I remain cautious in saying it, but this practice would have positive effects when taking certain treatments, such as chemotherapy, or treatments for diabetes”.
Prioritize food rebalancing
For the nutritionist, low-calorie diets are history. “For people who are overweight, it is preferred to return to a daily number of calories estimated at 2400 for men and 1800 for women, this is what works best in the long term and avoids yo-yo effect.
He therefore advises to consume more vegetables, fish rich in omega 3, meat up to 400 g per week and fermented foods, such as real sourdough bread, natural yoghurts, brie or camembert with its crust. or fruit kefir. “By taking one or two glasses in the morning on an empty stomach of fruit kefir, this fermented fruit drink, you hydrate and provide your body with good bacteria, for the proper functioning of your digestive system..