Intermittent fasting helps those suffering from type 2 diabetes lose weight – WWN

The intermittent fasting can help people suffering from type 2 diabetes to lose weight and control it sugar levels in the blood (blood sugar).

I study

A study supports it, just published in the journal JAMA Network Open, conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The scientists enrolled 75 participants and divided them into three groups: one group followed intermittent fasting with meal window between 12pm and 8pm (fasting 16:8) without calorie restriction, the second group had to reduce their daily calorie intake by 25%, and the third group served as a control. Over the next 6 months, participants’ weight, waist circumference, blood sugar levels and other health indicators were measured.

The results

Both study groups had similar reductions in long-term blood sugar levels, as measured by a hemoglobin A1C test (which shows blood sugar levels over the past three months), but the first group (the fasting group ) lost more weight.
The reasons were also of a psychological-practical nature. According to the researchers, the individuals who followed intermittent fasting still ate less, even if it was not prescribed, the others had some difficulty following a traditional low-calorie diet. Our study shows that time-restricted eating could be an effective alternative for people who cannot follow a diet — said the senior author of the study, Krista Varady —. For many, measuring time is easier than counting calories.

Safe mode

Determinant factor that makes the practice of fasting a safe alternative: no serious adverse events were reported during the six-month study and the occurrence of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar level) and hyperglycemia (high blood sugar level) did not differ between the diet and control groups. Additionally, just over half of the study participants were black and another 40% were Hispanic, which is noteworthy because diabetes is particularly prevalent among these groups. The researchers concluded their note by reminding that people suffering from type 2 diabetes should still consult their doctor before starting this type of diet.

The practice of fasting today

Excluding the categories of people who suffer from some pathology, the intermittent fasting in the society of abundance and junk food it is good (especially due to the caloric restriction that this practice entails): it reduces the risk factors for chronic diseases typical of our era (cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes 2, tumors and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s), because it activates specific responses that reduce the indicators of the inflammatory and those related to increased cardiovascular risk (we wrote about it HEREed).