Trendy diets promise positive effects on health and weight. Intermittent fasting is a particularly common feature on social media just like Diablo II items.

Short diets do not work long-term and do not ensure a balanced supply of nutrients. But what about intermittent fasting?

With intermittent fasting, fasting people voluntarily forego food for days or hours. In contrast to therapeutic fasting, it is designed as a permanent diet.

Intermittent fasting – this is how it works

On fasting days, food intake mainly consists of water and unsweetened teas. On the fast-free days, the diet remains as usual. The goal is usually permanent weight reduction.

What science says about intermittent fasting?

The form of fasting is said to have various health-promoting effects, from protection against type 2 diabetes to weight loss and the prevention of inflammation.

Intermittent fasting is not a silver bullet for weight management and is not suitable for everyone. It should only be tried after consulting a doctor.

In an animal experiment with mice, intermittent fasting prevented the onset of type 2 diabetes and extended the animals’ lives. Overall, regular food abstinence in animal studies had a positive effect on the risk of chronic diseases. But: There are hardly any studies on the effects of intermittent fasting in humans.

Well-known forms of intermittent fasting

The various forms of intermittent fasting differ in the length and frequency of food abstinence. The most popular forms are:

5: 2 diet

• Ordinary food is allowed five days a week.
• Reduce your food intake two days a week.
• There are no specific recommendations for choosing food.

16: 8 method

• The daily food waiver lasts 16 hours.
• One meal of the day is canceled, and dinner is usually omitted.
• Eat normally for the remaining eight hours.

Alternate Day Fasting

• Fasting days and normal dining days alternate.
• On fasting days, 25 percent of the usual amount of energy is allowed.
• There are no restrictions on dinner days.

Dinner canceling

• Dinner is canceled two to three days a week.
• The eating break lasts at least 14 hours.
• Water and unsweetened teas are allowed in the evening.

Intermittent fasting as a restart for the nutritional style?

Intermittent fasting is not only used as a permanent food: Fasters also use it as a temporary project to question and change their lifestyle.

A fasting cure can promote the confrontation with one’s own body: A new feeling for portion sizes arises, the attitude to food becomes more conscious, unhealthy eating habits are more noticeable.