Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is an umbrella term for eating patterns that cycle between periods of eating and fasting. The 2019 review by de Cabo and Mattson in the New England Journal of Medicine groups the common forms into daily time-restricted eating (for example an 8-hour eating window), 5:2 intermittent fasting (two days per week of one moderate-sized meal), and alternate-day fasting.
What published research reports
The NEJM review reports that in animal studies and some human trials, intermittent fasting triggers a "metabolic switch" from glucose-based to ketone-based energy, and describes evidence of improvements in insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, resting heart rate and markers of inflammation in short- to medium-term human studies. The authors also note limitations: many trials are short, sample sizes are often small, and most participants have been overweight young or middle-aged adults, so findings may not generalise. They report that hunger and irritability are common early side effects that usually fade within a month, and that people with diabetes on medication require medical supervision before fasting.
References
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