You might have already heard intermittent fasting. But aside from it being a beginner-friendly weight loss diet, it also holds many benefits to heart health. We speak with Dr Michael MacDonald, Senior Consultant Cardiologist with Harley Street Heart and Vascular Centre and Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, to learn all about it.
What is intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a form of time-restricted eating. It has gained much popularity in recent years because it effectively reduces fat. And it may decrease the risk of developing heart and brain conditions, type two diabetes, and even cancer.
According to an article in Nutrients, intermittent fasting involves normal caloric intake with the use of short food restriction periods.
This diet comes in many forms, two of the most common approaches are daily time-restricted eating or the 5:2 diet. With daily time-restricted eating, you only eat within a specific time window. Commonly: 16 hours fasting and eight hours feeding, 18 hours fasting, and six hours feeding. Or 20 hours fasting and four hours feeding.
What are the benefits of intermittent fasting?
According to a study published in Cell Press Journal, intermittent fasting helps reduce the cells that cause inflammation and makes them less inflammatory. In another study, researchers found that obese individuals have decreased levels of bad cholesterol and triglyceride and lower body weight after eight weeks of this diet.
Not only does it help to reduce blood pressure and improve brain function, it also can increase the cells’ sensitivity to insulin, which helps minimise the risk of type two diabetes,
Here are six intermittent fasting tips that Dr MacDonald shared on how you can effectively lose weight and improve your heart health.