Research
Hormonal
A 12-month 4:3 intermittent fasting protocol does not produce different changes in fasting appetite-related hormones (leptin, ghrelin, PYY, BDNF, adiponectin) compared to daily caloric restriction when energy deficits are matched.
Don't expect intermittent fasting to magically fix your hunger hormones differently than daily calorie counting. The benefit of 4:3 IMF comes from how it changes your eating behaviors and psychological relationship with food, not from a unique hormonal advantage.
GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
There were no between-group differences in changes in fasting appetite-related hormones at any time point.
Why this rating
Same RCT design as N1, robust hormonal measurements.
Source
Effects of 4:3 Intermittent Fasting on Eating Behaviors and Appetite Hormones: A Secondary Analysis of a 12-Month Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention
Matthew J. Breit et al. · Nutrients · 2025
DOI 10.3390/nu17142385
rct · n=165Cited 5×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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