Recent research shows that the period between one's first and last meal, which is what intermittent fasting is all about, has a lesser impact compared to frequency and portion size.
Intermittent Fasting: Does It Really Work?
This was discovered through a study that took place for six whole years and was recently published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Dr. Wendy L. Bennet, senior study author from the School of Medicine at John Hopkins University, expresses that though intermittent fasting has been growing in popularity, research has yet to prove if controlling the eating window indeed helps with weight regulation.
SciTechDaily reports that the study looked into the link between weight change and the period from one's first to last meal. There were close to 550 adults, ranging from three health systems across Pennsylvania and Maryland, that were enrolled in the study. Study participants had at least one measurement of their height and weight registered two years before the enrollment period of the study.
The scientists made a mobile app that the participants could use to catalog their wake-up, eating, and sleeping times for a window of 24 hours. Notifications urged participants to maximize the application during their first month and during power weeks.
Based on the recorded sleeping and eating timing, the scientists were able to gauge the time from first to last meal, the time from waking up until the first meal, and the period from the last meal up until sleeping time.
Upon analyzing the data, the researchers found that the timing of meals was not linked to weight changes over the six-year period of following up.
They also discovered that the total daily large and medium meal number was linked to weight gain during the six-year period. The average time it took from one's last meal up until sleeping time was four hours, while the average sleep period was 7.5 hours.
Researchers also did not find any link between weight change and the timing of meals in a population that had a variety of body weights.
Portion Size, Meal Frequency Play Weightier Roles
Heart Newsroom reports that though previous studies have shown that intermittent fasting could boost bodily rhythms and manage metabolism, this link was not spotted within the study.
While the study revealed that the total intake of calories and frequency of meals played weightier roles compared to timing, the findings do not illustrate a cause-and-effect relationship.
Limitations of the Study
The study has limitations noted by the researchers, especially since they did not look into the complexities of eating frequency and timing. Moreover, considering the observational nature of the study, the scientists were not able to establish any causal inferences.
Further studies should also examine a more diverse scope since most of the participants were white women from the mid-Atlantic area who were well-educated.
The researchers were also not able to look into weight loss intentions before the participants enrolled. They could not exclude other variables attributed to medical conditions.
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