While intermittent fasting has gained popularity, especially for its promise of improving insulin sensitivity in diabetics, a recent study tells an alarming story — it raises the risk of being a person will die of cardiovascular death is as high as 91% . The findings of the study were recently presented at an international conference. Experts said that while the study data is not conclusive, it does point out the dangers of intermittent fasting, and such diets should not be followed without consulting a doctor.

What did you learn from the study? Intermittent fasting is basically a time-restricted, eight- to twelve-hour diet for the day’s calories, where participants fast throughout the day Studies that have followed participants on such diets for short periods of time — three months to a year — have shown benefits such as weight loss, increased insulin sensitivity and control of diabetes so well revealed.

What do the experts say about the study? The data were first presented at a conference and have not yet been peer-reviewed. Second, little is known about the mechanism by which the conclusion was reached. Dr. Arun Kumar, Executive Director, Cardiology, Max Hospitals and former Head, Department of Cardiology, AIIMS-New Delhi. V. K. Bahl says, “The method is unclear. In addition, researchers seem to have relied on questionnaires to determine consumption patterns. The problem with that is food memory is so bad, most people can’t tell you what they ate or when they ate a few days ago”. Third, and most importantly, the data do not take into account whether the participants had diabetes, and were taking medication to manage it, including cardioprotective medication about, or were following a healthy diet and exercise , Drs. Mishra pointed out.

There are no long-term studies of the effects of intermittent fasting on diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Who should they be and how? Intermittent fasting is not for everyone, experts say. Young men under 25 and pregnant women, who need more calories, should not follow intermittent fasting. Similarly, patients with chronic diabetes should not rely on medications and high doses of insulin. Dr. Bahl also urged people with heart disease not to follow it. Another important thing is to stick to the circadian clock — meal times shouldn’t be delayed until later in the day so people can eat through the night.

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