benefits or risks? Study raises questions about heart health

Intermittent fasting has become the direction of the diet in the contract.

It is considered a biology hacking without making calories calculating or cutting carbohydrates: simply change when eating, and not necessarily what you eat. Technical areas are divided from this, Hollywood stars insist that they maintain them. Former Prime Minister of Britain Rishi Sonak Once he talked about starting his week at 36 hours.

So far the flag seemed supportive. Research indicates that the extension of fasting overnight may improve metabolism, help cellular repair, and perhaps even prolong life. However, nutritionists have long warned that skipping is not a magic bullet – and they may be risky for those who suffer from essential conditions.

Diagnostic fasting fasts in a short daily window, often eight hours, leaving a 16 -hour gap without food. Other time -bound food, such as 5: 2 planReducing calories on certain days instead of hours.

Now, and The first wide -ranging study Of its kind it raises the red flag more dangerous. The researchers, who analyze data from more than 19,000 adults, found that those who restricted eating to less than eight hours a day have faced a 135 % higher risk of death Cardiovascular diseases – problems with cardiovascular – more than people who have eaten more than 12 to 14 hours.

The risk of heart and blood vessels means that based on a person’s health, lifestyle and medical data, they are more likely than others in the study to develop heart related problems such as heart attack or stroke.

The association with comprehensive deaths – deaths of any cause – was weaker and indispensable, but the risk of cardiovascular and blood vessels continued through the groups of age, sex and lifestyle even after the strict test.

In other words, the study found only a weak and inconsistent link between time -bound and comprehensive deaths. But the risk of death from cardiovascular disease was sharply higher.

The authors confirm that the study does not prove the cause and the result. But the sign is remarkable enough to challenge the narration of fasting as a risk -free way to improve health.

American adult researchers tracked eight years. To understand their eating habits, the participants were requested in two separate days – about two weeks – to summon everything they ate and drank. Among these “nutritional summonses”, scientists have estimated the average eating window for each person and its treasures as a representative of their long -term routine.

The study found that those who ate inside a window for eight hours faced a higher risk of death from cardiovascular diseases from those who spread meals over a period of 12-14 hours.

They found that the risk of high cardiovascular and blood vessels was consistent with social and economic groups, stronger among smokers and people with diabetes or current heart disease – indicating that they should be particularly careful about long -term narrow eating windows. The researchers found that the link that was held even after the modification of the quality of the diet, the frequency of meals, snacks and other lifestyles.

I asked the researchers how we should read the discovery that heart -related deaths are increasing dramatically, but the comprehensive deaths no – is it biology or bias in data?

“The diet is the main driver of diabetes and heart disease, so the association with the cardiovascular mortality rate is unexpected.

“The unexpected discovery is that adhering to a short eating window is less than eight hours over the course of years has been linked to an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease,” says Professor Chung, Epidemiology at the University of Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China.

It contradicts the common belief – with the support of short -term studies that lasts only a few months to general – Time -bound eating improves heart health and metabolism.

In an editorial accompanying in the same magazine, Anob Maysra, a leading endocrinologist, weighs the promise and fast fasting.

On the upper side, he says, multiple experiments and analyzes indicate that they can enhance weight loss, improve insulin sensitivity, low blood pressure, and enhance fat files, with some evidence of anti -inflammatory benefits.

People may also help blood sugar without counting strict calories, and are easily proportional to cultural or religious fasting practices, which is easy to follow.

“However, the possible negative aspects include shortcomings in food, increased cholesterol in cholesterol, excessive hunger, irritation, headache, and reducing commitment over time,” says Professor Maysara.

“For people with diabetes, unwanted fasting risks dangerous drops in blood sugar and enhances unwanted eating during the eating window. For older adults or people with chronic conditions, long fasting may increase weakness or accelerate muscle loss.”

This is not the first time that intermittent fasting has faced scrutiny.

Strict Three months studyThe JAMA internal medicine was published in 2020, found that the participants only lost a small amount of weight, and many of them may have come from the muscles. last Ticket He pointed out that intermittent fasting may produce side effects such as weakness, hunger, dehydration, headache and difficulty concentration.

Professor Maysara says the new study now adds a more worrying warning – a possible link to higher cardiovascular risk, at least in certain groups.

Professor Chung asked what doctors and the public would advise to take from the latest results.

He said that people with heart disease or diabetes should be careful about adopting an eating window for eight hours. The results indicate the need for “personal” nutritional advice, which is based on the health condition and advanced evidence.

“Based on the evidence from now, it seems that focusing on what people eat is more important than focusing on the time they eat. At least, people may consider not adopting an eating window for eight hours for a long time, either for the purpose of preventing cardiovascular disease or to improve life.”

Obviously, at the present time, the message is less than that of fasting completely and more about its adaptation of the individual’s risk appearance. Until the evidence is more clear, the safer betting may be less focus on the watch and more on the plate.