Intermittent Fasting, Thought to Be Healthy… “Increases Risk of Death”—Twisted Results

Intermittent Fasting, Thought to Be Healthy… “Increases Risk of Death”—Twisted Results

 

 

A study has found that intermittent fasting, which has seen a significant increase in popularity for health reasons in recent years, actually greatly increases mortality rates from cardiovascular disease.

According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 18th (local time), the American Heart Association, at a conference held in Chicago on that day, 8 hours a day

 

It was announced that these research results were obtained regarding the so-called '16:8 method' of intermittent fasting, which involves eating only during this period and fasting for more than 16 hours.

 

This study analyzed the dietary habits of 20,000 American adults from 2003 to 2018. The results showed that the mortality rate from heart disease was 91% higher for people who followed the '16:8' eating pattern compared to those with typical eating habits who ate multiple times a day for 12 to 16 hours.

Intermittent fasting has been shown to affect mortality rates in people with underlying conditions. Among people with cardiovascular disease, those who practiced intermittent fasting had a 66% higher mortality rate from heart disease or stroke, and cancer patients who practiced intermittent fasting also had a higher mortality rate from disease compared to cancer patients who ate a regular diet.

 

Victor Wenjiezhong, head of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Statistics at Shanghai Jiaotong Medical University and the lead author of the paper, stated, "We conducted this study expecting that practicing intermittent fasting over the long term would reduce the risk of death from various causes, including cardiovascular disease," and expressed surprise at the research results. He added, "The results showed that the contents of the meal are far more important than the timing of the meal."

This study did not reveal why intermittent fasting causes higher mortality.

 

However, the research team confirmed that people practicing the '16:8 method' of intermittent fasting had less muscle than those who ate a normal diet. This is consistent with the results of an internal medicine study that revealed that people who practice intermittent fasting for three months experienced more muscle loss than those who did not.

 

WP explained, “It is important to maintain muscle as you age,” adding that “it protects the body from falls and disabilities and boosts metabolism.” It also noted that there are many studies showing that a lack of muscle increases the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

 

The research team emphasized that the results of this study are not conclusive. This is because while they identified a correlation between intermittent fasting and increased mortality, they could not explain a causal relationship.

Intermittent fasting has gained great popularity among celebrities and experts as it is known to provide not only weight loss effects but also various health benefits.

 

In Korea, BTS's Jungkook revealed that he tried intermittent fasting for a healthy diet, and it is known that not only American Hollywood stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Jackman, and Jennifer Aniston, but also Tesla CEO Elon Musk and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak practice intermittent fasting.

However, research results on intermittent fasting have been mixed. While many early studies showed that it prevents obesity and metabolic syndrome, most of them focused on short-term intermittent fasting, and there were also quite a few studies showing no effect.

 

Christopher Gardner, Director of Nutrition Research at the Stanford Institute for Presbyterian Studies, also expressed the view that it is virtually difficult to conduct research on the effects of intermittent fasting. This is because everyone's diet is different, and studying the impact of intermittent fasting on longevity requires observing people for a longer period of time.

 

Gardner emphasized, “Just because you can only eat for eight hours, what would happen if you only drank dessert, snacks, and cola during that time?” adding, “It is difficult to say that the effects of intermittent fasting on a minority of people apply equally to everyone.”