• Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • Shop
  • Nav Social Icons

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • Body
  • Mind
  • Social
  • Mobile Menu Widgets

    Connect

    Search

Dr. Michael Hunter's Wellness

What You Need to Know to Optimize Your Health

  • Body
  • Mind
  • Social
You are here: Home / Wellness / Fasting for Health
woman holding heart cut out

Fasting for Health

February 9, 2022 · In: cholesterol, health, heart health, intermittent fasting, Wellness

TODAY WILL NOT ANSWER THAT CHALLENGING QUESTION: What is a healthy diet? Instead, I want to explore the health benefits of intermittent fasting once per week or fasting for health.

Today is not about restricted diets for weight loss; instead, we look at a new study showing how a well-tolerated once weekly fasting approach may improve metabolism and potentially lower chronic disease risks such as diabetes and heart failure.

Intermittent fasting basics

People often use intermittent fasting strategies for weight loss. There are many approaches, including time-restricted feeding and alternate-day fasting. Some studies show intermittent fasting is an effective tool for weight loss. Other studies hint that alternate-day fasting is no better than regular dieting.

For example, a 12–week randomized trial of alternate-day fasting (with 25 percent of the energy consumed on fasting days and free eating on other days) showed a 5.2 kilogram (11.4 pounds) weight loss than a control group.

The University of Illinois at Chicago (USA) study authors offer that alternate-day fasting effectively reduces weight and cardiovascular risk.

Fork, extending from the right of the picture, holds a measuring tape, looped around the tines and extending to the bottom of the image. Yellow background.
Photo by Diana Polekhina on Unsplash

On the other hand, a one-year experiment of 100 obese individuals showed that alternate-day fasting did not work better than daily calorie restriction. Participants consumed 25 percent of total energy on fasting days and 125 percent on “feast” days for this trial.

Compared with calorie restriction (75 percent of total energy needs consumed each day) and a no-intervention control group, average weight loss in the two diet groups appeared similar.

What about time-restricted feeding? This form of intermittent fasting has us stop eating by a specific time of day (for example, in the early afternoon). One creates a prolonged period of fasting that carries over into the next day.

Short-term experiments looking at time-restricting fasting suggest that aligning our feeding with circadian rhythms may facilitate weight loss and improve measures of metabolism.

Intermittent fasting, once weekly

Publishing in the European Heart Journal Open, researchers followed 67 subjects, ages 21 to 70 years, for six months. Each subject had at least one symptom of metabolic syndrome (for example, obesity) or type 2 diabetes.

All had elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, but none took diabetes or statin medications.

The participants fasted twice weekly for 24 hours for the first four weeks. Then, they fasted once per week for the next 22 weeks. A control group ate whenever and whatever they wanted.

Study results

When compared with the control subjects, the intermittent fasting group had:

Improvements in markers for insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Cholesterol levels did not improve.

More specifically, the fasting participants had higher levels of galectin-3. This substance is an essential protein that plays a part in several cellular processes.

Micrograph of several elongated bluish body cells, set against a dark blue background.
Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Galectin-3 is associated with inflammatory responses. According to the study principal investigator, Dr. Benjamin Horne, the improvement may lead to a lower risk of diabetes and heart failure.

Dr. Horne adds that “unlike some intermittent fasting plans that are quite restrictive and promise magic weight loss, this approach is not a severe fasting form. The best routine is one that patients can stick to over the long term, and this study shows that even occasionally fasting can have positive health effects.”

Reducing inflammation can improve the cardiovascular environment at a microscopic level. Thanks for joining me for this look at fasting for health.

The information I provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you seek medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this blog.

By: Dr. Michael Hunter · In: cholesterol, health, heart health, intermittent fasting, Wellness · Tagged: diet, fitness, health, intermittent fasting, lifestyle, wellness

you’ll also love

🧠 The Surprising Mental Medicine You Already Own
The Grocery Store Aisle Is Quietly Killing Us
💪 Why Doing Less Builds More Muscle (At Any Age)

Join the List

Stay up to date & receive the latest posts in your inbox.

Next Post >

Designer Food as Medicine

Primary Sidebar

Meet Dr. Hunter

Meet Dr. Hunter

Your go-to source for all things wellness. I am Michael Hunter. I practice radiation oncology in the Seattle area and have a particular interest in health. I am delighted that you have joined me here. Thank you.

Read More

Connect

join the list

Featured Posts

silhouette photo of buildings

Optimal Sleep Temperature

woman wearing pink collared half sleeved top

Drop Your Diabetes Risk

appetizer bake baked baking

Sugar Detox: My 5 Winning Strategies

Categories

  • Body
  • Mind
  • Social

Search

Archives

Follow Along

@michaelhuntermd

thebreastcancerdoctor

#Stanford2021 #tyhunter #Stanford2021 #tyhunter
#stanforduniversity #graduation #tyhunter #stanforduniversity #graduation #tyhunter
Hope you too are having a joy-filled weekend! Hope you too are having a joy-filled weekend!
Seattle almost-summer day #hiking #rattlesnakeledg Seattle almost-summer day #hiking #rattlesnakeledge #seattle
I hope you have a joy-filled 2021! I hope you have a joy-filled 2021!
Breathing out of 2020 and into 2021. #hawaii #hiki Breathing out of 2020 and into 2021. #hawaii #hiking #awe #mindfulness
Instagram post 18137289235185551 Instagram post 18137289235185551
Instagram post 17851535831416158 Instagram post 17851535831416158
Instagram post 17889383257655934 Instagram post 17889383257655934
Ah... Ah...
Instagram post 17850799412251973 Instagram post 17850799412251973
www.newcancerinfo.com www.newcancerinfo.com
Exciting new research results... Exciting new research results...
#moma #manhattan #travelphotography #museumofmoder #moma #manhattan #travelphotography #museumofmodernart #cancerdoctor #barnard #newyork #newyorkcity #photography #leicaphotography #blackandwhitephotography #photographylovers #photooftheday
3 ways to lower your colon cancer risk #cancer#col 3 ways to lower your colon cancer risk #cancer#coloncancer#dietandcancer#rectalcancer#wellness#lifestyle
Love the early morning Pike Place Market. Peaceful Love the early morning Pike Place Market. Peaceful, as it opens.
#seattle#spaceneedle#pikeplacemarket#pacificnorthw #seattle#spaceneedle#pikeplacemarket#pacificnorthwest#travelphotography#leicaphotography
#finnriver #finnrivercider #finnriverfarm #PortTow #finnriver #finnrivercider #finnriverfarm #PortTownsend  #olympicpeninsula #BainbridgeIsland #seattlephotographer #travelphotography #cider  #appleciderfestival
#finnriver#olympicpeninsula #porttownsend #seattle #finnriver#olympicpeninsula #porttownsend #seattle #seattlelife #thingstodoinseattle #ciderfestival #ciderhouse #bainbridgeisland
#prostatecancer #cancer#prostate#cancer #wellness #prostatecancer #cancer#prostate#cancer #wellness #prostatecancerawareness #prostateexam #prostatecancerawarenessmonth #menshealth
Follow on Instagram

Footer

On the Blog

  • Body
  • Mind
  • Social

Info

  • About
  • Shop
  • Contact

stay in the know

Copyright © 2025 · Theme by 17th Avenue