CHICAGO – A study on the impact of alternate day fasting on weight loss and eating disorder behaviors says the fasting does result in weight reduction and does not make eating disorders worse.
The study was published in the June edition of Nutrition Journal.
The adverse effects of the alternate day fasting were bad breath, dizziness and low energy. Sometimes sleep was disrupted on fast days.
Weight loss seen during an 8- to 12-week study showed up to 8 percent decrease in body weight.
The study was done because ADF diet safety has been called into question regarding alleged gastrointestinal disturbances, sleep issues, and problems with energy levels. The lack of energy may be attributed to lower blood sugar levels.
This form of dieting has also been accused of increasing disordered eating behaviors and negatively impacting body image perception.
These impacts have been disproved in the study, while some participants did experience mild gastrointestinal problems, issues staying asleep and minor dizziness and weakness, the rate of these adverse events appeared to be similar to that of daily calorie restriction.
The bad breath issue was solved by consuming more water throughout the day and chewing sugar-free gum between meals.
http://www.nutritionj.com/content/pdf/s12937-015-0029-9.pdf