Intermittent fasting is one of the most discussed innovations in the world of diets. It helps you lose weight quickly, and appears to offer benefits against chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's, heart attack, stroke and diabetes. But at the same time, some research indicates potential negative effects, and an increased risk of premature death. Better understanding its effects on the human organism could help resolve, once and for all, the doubts of the scientific community. And a new study recently published in Nature Communications goes precisely in this direction, revealing that the main effect of interventions such as intermittent fasting could be to modify the intestinal microbiome.
The diet
The research involved 41 obese or overweight American adults, dividing the participants into two groups: 20 followed a low-calorie diet inspired by the Mediterranean diet for eight weeks, and 20 instead adopted a diet that combined intermittent fasting and so-called protein-pacing , that is, a plan that precisely regulates the number of meals consumed throughout the day, as well as their protein content.
In short, the first group limited itself to following a healthy low-calorie diet, while the second alternated days of intermittent fasting (in which food could only be consumed in certain time slots), with days of protein pacing, in which consumed approximately 300 more calories during 4 high-protein meals (with the help of specific protein drinks and snacks) distributed regularly throughout the day.
The results of intermittent fasting
At the end of the eight weeks, the study authors collected stool samples from all the participants and analyzed them. The results showed that people who followed intermittent fasting and protein pacing on average had a richer microbiota (i.e. composed of a greater number of microbial species) than the other group, with a greater number of bacteria known to be present in the bodies of thin people, and several biomarkers linked to weight loss. They had also lost a greater amount of visceral fat (the most dangerous for health), and said they suffered fewer gastrointestinal problems.
“These findings shed light on the effects that intermittent fasting regimens, such as intermittent fasting combined with protein pacing, may have, promising interventions for the treatment of obesity and the management of metabolic and microbiota health,” the study authors write. Given the limited number of people who participated in the research, the authors warn that the results will need to be confirmed by larger studies. It should also be noted that the study was funded, in large part, by a company that produces supplements and snacks also used for protein pacing, and should therefore be taken with a pinch of healthy skepticism.