Research
Energy balance
Alternate-day fasting (ADF) and modified fasting (e.g., 5:2 diet) result in weight loss comparable to continuous energy restriction, with mixed effects on metabolic biomarkers.
If you prefer intermittent fasting, try the 5:2 diet (eating normally 5 days, restricting calories to ~25% on 2 non-consecutive days). It leads to weight loss similar to daily calorie restriction, but may be easier to adhere to for some people. Be prepared for hunger on fasting days.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Reviews and meta-analyses have compared the efficacy of fasting regimens with continuous energy restriction... The authors of these publications unanimously report that, given the current state of the evidence, the overall metabolic benefits of fasting regimens are not superior to those of continuous energy restriction.
Why this rating
Multiple human trials show weight loss, but metabolic benefits are mixed and not superior to controls.
Source
Metabolic Effects of Intermittent Fasting
Ruth E. Patterson et al. · Annual Review of Nutrition · 2017
DOI 10.1146/annurev-nutr-071816-064634
narrative_reviewCited 800×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Prolonging the nightly fasting interval (≥11-13 hours) is associated with reduced odds of elevated HbA1c, lower inflammatory markers, and reduced breast cancer recurrence risk.Good
- Time-restricted feeding (TRF) that aligns food intake with circadian rhythms (e.g., restricting eating to 8-12 hours during the day) improves metabolic health, including weight loss, insulin sensitivity, and lipid profiles, independent of caloric restriction.Moderate
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