Intermittent fasting is an effective alternative to traditional diets, research shows

Intermittent fasting has received attention for its potential metabolic benefits, but questions remain about which regimen is most effective and how it compares to continuous energy restriction. To answer these questions, researchers analyzed data from more than 9,800 participants from 153 studies, focusing on three common intermittent fasting regimens: time-restricted eating, alternate-day fasting, and the 5:2 diet. These were compared with continued energy restriction and habitual diets.

The analysis examined four key metabolic domains (anthropometry, blood pressure, glycemic parameters and lipid profile) in 14 specific outcomes. Using network meta-analysis, the researchers were able to combine direct and indirect evidence, allowing them to assess the effectiveness of each nutritional strategy based on their impact on metabolic health. The findings are published in the news BMC medicine.

The findings highlighted that all intermittent fasting regimens significantly reduced body weight compared to usual diets. The network meta-analysis found that intermittent fasting was more effective than usual diets in 85.4% of metabolic outcomes examined and outperformed continuous energy restriction in 56.1%. Among intermittent fasting regimens, alternate-day fasting consistently emerged as the most effective strategy for improving metabolic health, ranking first in 64.3% of comparisons and second in 14.3%.

This research supports intermittent fasting as an effective nutritional approach for improving metabolic health, outperforming conventional diets and demonstrating efficacy comparable to continuous energy restriction. Of the various intermittent fasting regimens, alternate-day fasting stands out as the most promising, consistently producing the most substantial improvements, based on current evidence.

These findings contribute to a broader understanding of intermittent fasting as a viable strategy for improving metabolic health and provide the basis for future dietary recommendations.