From the 5:2 to Monday juicing, fasting diets promise huge
health benefits. But does the science stack up? CHARLOTTE
HAIGH investigates the pros and cons of going hungry
Fast
FIX?
veryone from Beyoncé to Miranda Kerr has
raved about the advantages of fasting, and in
some studies science backs up its incredible
health benefits. Restricting calorie intake for
intermittent periods has been shown to increase
energy, reduce internal inflammation, lower blood pressure
and shrink fat around your middle – all factors linked with
conditions from heart disease and cancer to dementia. It
could even have an anti-ageing effect, too, by rebooting your
body’s cells and switching on youth-boosting genes – not to
mention the obvious weight-loss benefits. In some studies,
even when overall calorie intake was the same, people who
fasted for set periods lost more weight. ‘One of the quickest
ways to resensitise cells to insulin (the hormone that helps
your body use the energy in food) is through fasting, so
it’s good for conditions caused by insulin resistance, like
prediabetes, type 2 diabetes and PCOS [polycystic ovary
syndrome],’ says nutritionist and fasting expert Stephanie
Moore. So far, so amazing. But the research is in its infancy
and fasting isn’t for everyone. ‘A lot of the studies have been