Intermittent fasting is known for aiding weight loss and improving metabolic health. However, strict fasting, such as the 5:2 diet’s severe calorie cuts twice a week, can be difficult to maintain. New research suggests that simply reducing carbohydrate intake twice a week might offer similar metabolic benefits without extreme calorie restriction.
Intermittent fasting works by shifting the body from burning carbs to using fat for energy during fasting periods, improving metabolic flexibility and reducing the risk of heart disease, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.
A previous study showed that both total fasting and severe calorie restriction improved the body’s ability to burn fat after a high-calorie meal. Interestingly, intermittent fasting led to better metabolic improvements than continuous calorie restriction, even when weight loss was the same in both groups.
To find out whether these benefits come from calorie restriction or carb reduction, researchers tested 12 overweight participants. One day they followed a very low-carb diet, and another day they followed a severely calorie-restricted diet. After each, participants ate a high-fat, high-sugar meal to assess fat burning.
Results showed both approaches triggered similar shifts towards fat burning and improved fat handling, suggesting that reducing carbs alone can mimic the metabolic effects of fasting.
Larger studies are needed, but this could offer a more practical alternative to traditional intermittent fasting. A low-carb version of the 5:2 diet could avoid problems like nutritional deficiencies or disordered eating linked to severe calorie cuts, while still providing metabolic health benefits.
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