Do Fasting Diets Really Work? This Is What You Should Know

Before we undergo fasting diets we should consult a specialist and make sure that we are not going to endanger our health.

The fasting diets are quite controversial, as there are conflicting views on the matter. Many claim that they do work efficiently to lose weight. On the other hand, there are those who claim that they are not effective in the long term and that, in addition, they put health at risk. Faced with these divergent opinions, today we will tell you what fasting diets are about, their advantages and disadvantages. Are they really effective?

What is clear is that in recent years they have gained a lot of popularity. Nutritionists around the world use them with their patients with the aim of improving health and reducing their body weight.

Fasting diets

Fasting diets can be carried out in two different ways. One, cut back to just 500 to 800 calories on two days of the week. Or two, go between 12 and 18 hours a day without eating. Whatever the modality, they are based on the principle of caloric restriction. This results in significant weight loss, which occurs quickly.

They differ from traditional weight loss diets in that it is not a continuous restriction for several weeks or months. The fasting diets, or intermittent fasting (as is also known), interspersed with periods of complete restriction periods eat freely.

How do fasting diets work?

If you do a fasting diet you will have three different ways to do it:

• The first option is that you adopt a diet in which you are prohibited from eating for a period of 12 to 18 hours a day. The rest of the time you can consume the amount and types of food you want.
• The second option is not based on the daily diet, but on the weekly consumption. During 2 or 3 days of the week you should have an intake that does not exceed 500 calories (the minimum recommended daily intake is 1500). The rest of the week your usual diet will not be altered.

• The third way is to go a whole day without eating, consuming only water.

According to the supporters of this type of diet, by applying any of these three methods it is possible to lose weight. In fact, science shows its effectiveness, especially in the case of intermittent fasting.

Assumed benefits

Supporters of fasting diets claim that they bring several benefits to the body, in addition to weight loss. In this regard, it is indicated that people who practice these diets improve their blood sugar levels, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. This is stated by research published in Nutrients . Finally, these diets are presumed to help prevent so-called neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Detractors

On the contrary, there are wants to ensure that, although fasting diets can bring some type of benefit, the cost is very high for the body. In the first place, nutritionists indicate that there is no point in going on a diet to lose weight quickly if you will later eat as before. Second, nutritionists and endocrinologists warn that by restricting food intake to these extreme levels, the body is left without the energy it needs to function.

Health problems

Most nutritionists agree that a fast day, accompanied by drinking water, can be beneficial as a detoxifier. However, its prolongation can lead to critical health states. In very extreme cases, even death from starvation.

On the other hand, nutritionists do not recommend subjecting the body to long fasts. That is, those that involve not eating for more than 48 hours. This is because the body enters a state that affects brain function, according to a study published in Praxis .

Finally, they do not recommend subjecting ourselves to an intake that is less than 1200 calories for several days. This could have a negative impact on the body.

Fasting diets: extreme fasting

For many, the idea of ​​stopping eating is crazy, even for less than a day. To these individuals any form of fasting seems extreme. However, with extreme fasting we refer to diets that imply greater restriction than with the mechanisms we have already discussed.

As much as a diet is in vogue, nutritionists oppose extreme fasting. There are some in which the intake of water is even prohibited.  Similarly, prolonging the fast for more than one day is detrimental. Even if you drink water, since the body begins to consume its own proteins.  In fact, there are some long fasts that last between one and two weeks, in which drinks are ingested. They may provide some energy, but they could also cause other digestive problems.

Fasting diets, advantageous if planned well

As we can see, more and more professionals are betting on the use of intermittent fasts, although not for prolonged ones. Now, a balanced diet sustained over time will allow you to lose weight and keep it. Also, maintain good health.