Intermittent Fasting: Pros, Cons, and Nutritional Considerations

Intermittent fasting can be simply defined as a fasting plan that involves alternate cycles of eating. When you subscribe to such plans, you are given specified hours to eat and hours to go without food. In recent times, lots of people have adopted intermittent fasting as their perfect weight loss procedure. This has often generated controversies about its merits and disadvantages. Do you consider intermittent fasting beneficial or dangerous to your health? Keep reading this article to find out the pros, cons, and nutritional concerns of intermittent fasting.

How Does Intermittent Fasting Work?

Intermittent fasting generally affects your eating patterns and frequency. It specifies hours or days for eating and the periods for fasting. Based on their schedules, people tend to choose the fasting plan that suits them the most. Here are different ways in which intermittent fasting can be achieved;

• Alternate-Day Fasting. An alternate-day fasting plan allows you to eat a regular diet on one day and have just one small meal on the next day. The \”small meal\” should not exceed 500 calories. The plan usually specifies eating days and fasting days.
• 5:2 fasting. A 5:2 fasting plan allows you to have your regular diet for five days a week while you fast for two days. On the fasting days, you are not required to consume more than 800 calories.
• Daily time-restricted fasting. also known as the 16:8 fasting plan, allows you to have a regular diet within an eight-hour window daily while you fast for 16 hours.

Pros of Intermittent Fasting

• Weight Loss: Some experts recommend intermittent fasting as an effective tool for losing weight. Our meals and eating patterns often contribute to weight gain. Therefore, most people subscribe to fasting to suit their weight loss goals. Adopting the alternate cycle of eating could help to decrease your intake of calories while enhancing your metabolism. It could also the hormone functions, which could help you lose weight.
• Health Benefits: There are several health benefits associated with intermittent fasting. Some researchers have found that obesity increases the risk of developing dangerous diseases such as sleep apnea and some types of cancer. Therefore, intermittent fasting keeps you physically fit and helps to reduce the risk of contracting these diseases.  It also lowers insulin resistance, hence reducing your blood sugar and preventing type-2 diabetes. Research has also revealed that it helps to reduce the risk of other inflammatory diseases like Alzheimer\’s, stroke, asthma, and arthritis.
• Easier to achieve: Some researchers have revealed that people easily adhere to intermittent fasting schedules over a long period. Since it allows you to eat regular diets, it is easier to comply with the fasting plan than any other diet plan.

Cons of Intermittent Fasting

Regardless of the advantages of intermittent fasting, there are side effects to it. A beginner would most likely encounter these undesirable side effects within the first month of fasting. However, your body gradually adjusts to the new eating cycle. Here are some of the negative side effects:

• Hunger and Fatigue: Going without food for several hours will likely lead to extreme hunger. When this persists, you will likely feel weak and fatigued. This level of discomfort could affect your work and other daily activities. It could also make you nauseous and irritable.
• Insomnia and Headaches: Fasting for long hours could also lead to severe headaches, which could cause sleep disorders like insomnia.

Other Nutritional Concerns

It is important to note that intermittent fasting is not recommended for people with weak immune systems. Certain life-threatening diseases could weaken one\’s immune system, making them unfit for such fasting plans. On the other hand, some diseases require certain meal plans that must be strictly complied with. Examples of people with weak immune systems are patients undergoing chemotherapy, patients suffering from HIV/AIDS, or people with autoimmune diseases.

Conclusion

In addition to the numerous health benefits of intermittent fasting, it has proven to be an effective tool for weight loss. Hence, if you are struggling with weight loss, you may consider trying out one of the fasting plans discussed in this article. However, it is not recommended for people who are suffering from life-threatening diseases. You must consult your doctor for proper guidance.

Disclaimer: This article is intended simply to provide information. It does not replace the medical advice of a physician or other medical professional. Please speak with your doctor or therapist if you have any questions or concerns.

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