Prolonged Fasting Can Be Fatal for Heart Health
"Fasting Is Not a Universal Health Solution"
What You Eat Matters More Than When You Eat
A new study has found that intermittent fasting, a popular weight loss method, may increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
On August 31 (local time), the BBC in the United Kingdom reported findings from a team of researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in China and Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in the United States. The researchers tracked and analyzed the eating habits and health data of about 19,000 American adults over eight years. According to their results, individuals who restricted their eating window to less than eight hours per day had a 135% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared to those who ate over a period of 12 to 14 hours per day. The study was published on August 22 (local time) in the journal "Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews."
Prolonged Fasting Can Be Fatal for Heart Health
Intermittent fasting typically involves eating only within an eight-hour window each day and fasting for the remaining 16 hours. Its main advantage has been considered the ability to burn fat after depleting carbohydrates, leading to weight loss and improved metabolism.
However, this study suggests that prolonged fasting may actually be detrimental to heart health. The research team collected records of all meals and beverages consumed over the previous two days from participants at two-week intervals, then calculated the average individual eating duration. As a result, the group eating within eight hours or less per day showed a significant increase in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
This trend was observed regardless of age, gender, or socioeconomic status. The risk was especially pronounced among smokers, people with diabetes, and those with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions.
"Fasting Is Not a Universal Health Solution"
Victor Wenze Zhong, the corresponding author of the paper, stated, "While the link between diet and cardiovascular disease is well known, it was unexpected to find that restricting eating time to less than eight hours increases the risk of death. This challenges the conventional belief that intermittent fasting is a harmless health practice."
In an editorial in the same journal, Indian endocrinologist Anoop Misra pointed out, "Intermittent fasting has benefits such as weight loss and improvements in blood pressure and blood sugar, but in the long term, it can lead to nutritional imbalance, increased cholesterol, and side effects such as excessive hunger and headaches." He especially warned, "People with diabetes are at higher risk of hypoglycemia during fasting, which could actually lead to binge eating or increased consumption of junk food."
What You Eat Matters More Than When You Eat
The side effects of intermittent fasting have already been reported several times. A 2020 study published in "JAMA Internal Medicine" found that while intermittent fasting led to a slight reduction in body weight, much of the lost weight came from muscle mass. Other studies have reported side effects such as dehydration, decreased concentration, and headaches.
Experts emphasize that these findings do not mean intermittent fasting should be completely prohibited, but rather that individuals should approach it cautiously depending on their health status and any existing conditions. The research team advised, "What you eat is more important than when you eat," and recommended against maintaining intermittent fasting over a long period.
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