Things to consider for those who eat within 8 hours of each other during intermittent fasting

 Things to consider for those who eat within 8 hours of each other during intermittent fasting

A study has shown that those who eat within 8 hours of each other during intermittent fasting have a higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

The study found that intermittent fasting had no association with overall mortality, but the risk of death from heart-related diseases remained.

Experts have said that intermittent fasting increases the risk of heart disease in people who smoke and have diabetes.

Intermittent fasting has become the most popular diet trend of recent times. In such fasting, there is no hassle of keeping track of calories or carbs. In this fasting, it is more important to determine the timing of meals than what to eat.

Many people adopt it. Also, many Hollywood celebrities say that it helps them stay fit. Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak once said that he eats after fasting for 36 hours at the beginning of the week.

Science has also supported such fasting so far. According to current research, prolonged overnight fasting can improve metabolism. Fasting helps repair cells and can slow down the aging process in humans.

However, nutritionists have long warned that there is no magic bullet for staying healthy. Experts have also said that doing so can be harmful for people with pre-existing diseases.

What did the new study find?

Intermittent fasting involves shortening daily meal times. Under this, a person can eat for up to 8 hours but must fast for 16 hours. In addition, there are other models of ‘time-restricted’ diets. One of them is to eat less for two days a week and eat normally for five days.

But one study has raised serious concerns about this. The study analyzed data from more than 20,000 adults. This is the first large-scale study on the subject.

Researchers found that people who eat within 8 hours of each other daily have a higher risk of death from cardiovascular, or heart-related, diseases.

Increased cardiovascular risk means that a person’s health, lifestyle and medical history put them at a higher risk of developing heart disease, such as a heart attack, than other people.

However, the study also found that intermittent fasting was not associated with any “all-cause” death. However, the risk of dying from heart disease remained consistent across people of all ages, genders and lifestyles.

The researchers found that there was no significant association between eating in a short period of time and overall mortality. However, the risk of dying from heart and related diseases was significantly increased.

The study does not prove cause and effect, but the evidence is important to challenge the idea that such fasting is completely safe and good for health.

Smokers and people with diabetes are at higher risk

The researchers kept records of US adults for eight years. To find out about their eating habits, the study participants were asked to recall what they ate and drank on two separate days, about two weeks apart.

Based on these ‘dietary recalls’, scientists calculated the average mealtimes of each person. And, they considered this as their long-term routine.

According to the study, those who ate within 8 hours of each other were at a higher risk of dying from heart and related diseases than those who ate within 10-12 hours.

The researchers found that cardiovascular risk increased across all socio-economic groups. The risk was highest among smokers and those with diabetes or pre-existing heart disease.

This means that such people should be especially careful about eating within a short time frame for a long time.

According to Victor Wenzhe Zhongle, lead author of the peer-reviewed study published in the journal ‘Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research and Reviews’, diet is one of the biggest causes of diabetes and heart disease, so the association with higher deaths from heart disease is not surprising.

Study findings contradict conventional wisdom

Professor Zhong is an epidemiologist at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in China. “What we didn’t expect was that eating within eight hours of each other for many years was associated with an increased risk of death from heart disease,” he says.

The findings contradict conventional wisdom, which has been supported by a few small studies so far, that such eating habits improve heart health and metabolism.

In an editorial published in the same journal, leading endocrinologist Dr. Anup Mishra discussed the pros and cons of intermittent fasting. According to him, many trials and analyses show its positive side. It can help with weight loss, improve insulin sensitivity, lower blood pressure and improve lipid profiles. It also has some evidence of anti-inflammatory benefits.

It can help control blood sugar without strict calorie counting. It can easily fit into religious or cultural traditions of fasting and is easy to follow.

Potential harms include nutritional deficiencies, increased appetite, irritability, headaches, and There may be difficulties in following such a diet for a long time.

According to him, “If fasting is not monitored, it can cause a sharp drop in blood sugar levels in diabetics, which is harmful. It can encourage unhealthy eating. It can cause weakness and muscle damage in the elderly or those with chronic illnesses.

What to watch out for?

This is not the first time intermittent fasting has been criticized. A three-month study published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2020 found that it caused very little weight loss in participants, most of which was muscle.

Studies have shown that intermittent fasting can cause side effects such as weakness, hunger, dehydration, headaches, and difficulty concentrating.

Experts say that dietary advice should be given only based on the individual’s condition.

“Based on the evidence so far, experts say that what people eat is more important than when they eat.”

The message of this study is that fasting does not have to be abandoned completely, but it needs to be tailored to the individual's health. The safest option is for people to pay less attention to the clock and more to their plate.