New study links intermittent fasting to heart disease
New study links intermittent fasting to heart disease
New study links intermittent fasting to a higher risk of developing fatal heart disease
So, is intermittent fasting safe?
By Ella Sangster
IT'S BEEN SPRUIKED by celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Chris Hemsworth and Kourtney Kardashian-but could intermittent fasting actually be doing us more harm than good?
A new study by the American Heart Association found that people who follow the 16:8 method-a specific kind of intermittent fasting where one fasts for 16 hours and eats within an eight-hour window had a reported higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than those who ate across 12-16 hours per day.
So what does that mean? Ahead, we break it down.
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What is intermittent fasting?
At its most basic, intermittent fasting is where one chooses not to eat for a certain period each day or week. Essentially, it focuses on when you eat, rather than what you eat.
The kind mentioned in this study is called daily time-restricted fasting, which is where devotees only eat within a certain, fixed window-generally, four to eight hours.
Is intermittent fasting linked to heart disease?
The American Heart Association study analysed 20,000 US adults and found that people who follow "an eight-hour, time-restricted eating schedule" had a 91 per cent higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease, compared to those who ate across 12-16 hours per day.
"Even though this type of diet has been popular due to its potential short-term benefits, our research clearly shows that, compared with a typical eating time range of 12-16 hours per day, a shorter eating duration was not associated with living longer, said the study's author, author Dr. Victor Wenze Zhong, Ph.D.
However, Dr. Zhong also noted: Although the study identified an association between an 8-hour eating window and cardiovascular death, this does not mean that time-restricted eating caused cardiovascular death.
It is important to note that this is a preliminary report-so the full study has not been released yet-and the study was limited by its reliance on self-reported dietary information. It also did not take into consideration personal health factors outside of the participants' daily duration of eating and the cause of death.
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Can you intermittent fast if you have a heart condition?
Intermittent fasting has often been lauded for its reported benefits, so what does this study mean for those living with health conditions specifically, cardiovascular ones?
It's crucial for patients, particularly those with existing heart conditions or cancer, to be aware of the association between an eight-hour eating window and increased risk of cardiovascular death," said Dr. Zhong in the press release.
It is always important to talk to a doctor before making any major decisions regarding your health.
What are the reported benefits of intermittent fasting?
According to John Hopkins Medicine, intermittent fasting has actually previously been linked to, "improved blood pressure and resting heart rates as well as other heart-related measurements."
It has been linked to weight loss-however, a 2023 study found that it wasn't actually any more effective for such than calorie counting.
Side effects of intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting can also have some undesirable short-term effects. These include nausea, insomnia, fatigue, headaches, hunger and low energy.
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The post New study links intermittent fasting to heart disease appeared first on Harper's Bazaar Australia.
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