Intermittent fasting has many benefits. First, it is good for weight loss. Second, it can help reduce the risk of many chronic diseases. Whether you choose to go on the 8-hour intermittent fasting routine every day or the 5:2 intermittent fasting every week, here are the 12 health benefits of intermittent fasting you can expect. Read on to know how IF can help you lose weight and stay healthy. Scroll down!
Did You Know?Fasting has been practiced in different cultures over centuries, but its effect on treating obesity was discovered in the 1960s.
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12 Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
1. Intermittent Fasting Can Lower Diabetes Risk
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Diabetes affects about 463 million adults, 1.1 million children and adolescents, and 20 million live births in the world (2019 statistics) (1).
Diabetes may occur if the body fails to create insulin (type 1 diabetes) or becomes insulin resistant (type 2 diabetes) (2). Intermittent fasting is an effective strategy to reverse insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes.
A small study of three people with type 2 diabetes had the people fast for 24 hours, three times a week. After the end of about seven months, all of them had reduced blood sugar, weight, and waist circumference (3).
The Journal of Applied Physiology published a study to monitor the effect of intermittent fasting on people with type 2 diabetes. The scientists concluded that intermittent fasting increased insulin actionsevenfold and reduced blood glucose levels in the test subjects (4).
Furthermore, a study on diabetic rats showed that intermittent fasting improved glucose homeostasis (maintaining blood glucose levels) (5).
Another study concludes that intermittent fasting may be safe and tolerable in people with type 2 diabetes (6). Talk to your doctor before trying intermittent fasting if you have diabetes.
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