More and more health minded individuals are becoming interested in the therapeutic benefit of intermittent fasting and caloric restriction. And this “health trend” appears to be especially beneficial for those struggling with type-2 diabetes and/or obesity, says a recent scientific study.1
Limiting caloric intake through low-calorie diets (LCDs) or intermittent fasting can be effective in addressing body fat mass
Obesity and metabolic disorders, such as type-2 diabetes (T2D), go hand in hand. The treatment and prevention of these conditions has become a plague for modern healthcare to understand and handle.
A major goal in treating T2D is to control blood sugar levels, which is commonly achieved conventionally through pharmacological agents. However, for many people there is a desire to use non-pharmacological methods to control blood sugar. Two predominant methods to achieve a more controlled blood glucose has been shown to be increased physical activity and reduction in body fat mass. Limiting caloric intake through low-calorie diets (LCDs) or intermittent fasting schedules can be effective in addressing body fat mass.
Low-calorie diets (LCDs) and Intermittent fasting (IF)
LCDs typically reduce daily caloric intake by 25% to 30%. LCDs are generally individualized depending on a person’s energy requirements, severity of obesity, and other diseases and treatments. Intermittent fasting (IF) involves restricting calorie consumption for one day or several days a week, or everyday as a prolongation of the overnight fast.
The conclusions of recent clinical trials
The conclusions of recent clinical trials found that LCDs and intermittent fasting can help reduce body fat mass in obese individuals as well as improve metabolic parameters – not merely blood glucose. These beneficial results are thought to not only arise from the loss of body mass, but also from the activation of metabolic pathways specific to fasting conditions.
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Razi Berry is the founder and publisher of the journal Naturopathic Doctor News & Review that has been in print since 2005 and the premier consumer-faced website of naturopathic medicine, NaturalPath. She is the host of The Natural Cancer Prevention Summit and The Heart Revolution-Heal, Empower and Follow Your Heart, and the popular 10 week Sugar Free Summer program. From a near death experience as a young girl that healed her failing heart, to later overcoming infertility and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia through naturopathic medicine, Razi has lived the mind/body healing paradigm. Her projects uniquely capture the tradition and philosophy of naturopathy: The healing power of nature, the vital life force in every living thing and the undeniable role that science and mind/body medicine have in creating health and overcoming dis-ease. Follow Razi on Facebook at Razi Berry and join us at Love is Medicine to explore the convergence of love and health.
