You must have heard of the intermittent fasting. This way of eating simply consists of arranging meal times so that you have a period during which you do not eat. The most common form is 16/8: you have 8 hours for days to eat and 16 hours to fast.
Intermittent fasting has been shown to be effective for losing weight sustainably, but also to improve digestive, renal, cardiac and mental functions.
A news study presented by the American Society for Nutritionat the congress Nutrition 2023 which takes place in Boston has proven that this mode of food could also be useful for patients affected by type 2 diabetes who need to lose weight. Be careful, however, before you start: other studies, on the contrary, alerted diabetics to intermittent fasting, accusing it of being harmful to blood sugar. Ask your doctor for advice before changing anything in your diet.
Intermittent fasting: “Relying on the clock is a simple way to cut calories”
About 420 million people suffer from diabetes worldwide. This constantly increasing chronic disease is manifested by a resistance to insulin, which prevents the body from using glucose as an energy source. The latter accumulates in the blood and leads to chronic hyperglycemia.
Researchers have found that people with type 2 diabetes who only ate between noon and 8 p.m. lost more weight per day than those who counted calories. These patients therefore gave up breakfast.
” Many people find counting calories very difficult over the long term, but our study shows that relying on the clock can offer an easy way to cut calories and lose weight. said study researcher and presenter Vicky Pavlou, a doctoral student at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
” Although time-limited feeding [jeûne intermittent, ndlr] become increasingly popular, no other studies have examined an eight-hour eating window in people with type diabetes2 “, she added in a press release.
This study was conducted by a team led by Krista Varady, Professor of Nutrition at UIC. Scientists studied a group of 75 people suffering fromobesity and type 2 diabetes. They were between 18 and 80 years old.
Diabetes: intermittent fasting may not be compatible with treatments
The participants were separated into several groups: one practiced intermittent fasting, the other was content to count calories. One had to limit his meals between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m., the other could eat at any time of the day provided he limited calories. A third group kept their normal diet.
Controls subjected to intermittent fasting lost 3.55% of their weight in 6 months, while people who practiced calorie restriction did not lose weight at all. Both groups, however, succeeded in lowering blood sugar levels. However, researchers question the compatibility of the treatments diabetes with intermittent fasting.
” Our study shows that intermittent fasting can be a good alternative for people with type 2 diabetes who want to lose weight and improve their blood sugar levelssaid one of the researchers. However, there are several types of medication for people with type 2 diabetes, some of which can cause hypoglycemia. Others must be taken with food. Therefore, it is important to work closely with a dietitian or physician when implementing this dietary approach. “.