WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study from researchers in Germany revealed that intermittent fasting does not improve metabolism or heart health if people eat the same number of calories.
During the ChronoFast study, led by Prof. Olga Ramich, the researchers wanted to see whether eating all meals within an eight-hour window could improve insulin sensitivity and other health markers when calorie intake stayed the same.
The study involved 31 women who were overweight or obese. Each participant followed two different eating schedules, each lasting two weeks. In one phase, they ate between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. (early eating). In the other phase, they ate between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. (late eating). During both phases, the meals had the same calories and nutrients.
Researchers took blood samples during clinic visits and ran tests to check how the body handled sugar and fat. Blood sugar levels were tracked continuously throughout the day, food intake was carefully recorded, and physical activity was monitored with motion sensors. The team also studied changes in the body's internal clock using blood cells.
Published in Science Translational Medicine, the results showed no meaningful changes in insulin sensitivity, blood sugar levels, blood fats, or inflammation after either eating schedule. However, meal timing did affect circadian rhythms. When participants ate later in the day, their internal clocks shifted by about 40 minutes.
'Our results suggest that the health benefits observed in earlier studies were likely due to unintended calorie reduction, rather than the shortened eating period itself,' concluded Ramich.
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