Research
Hormonal
Fasting induces a metabolic switch from glycogenolysis to gluconeogenesis, lipolysis, and ketogenesis, which is considered a main driver of the metabolic health benefits provided by IF.
During fasting, your body switches from burning sugar to burning fat and producing ketones. This metabolic shift is likely why fasting can be healthy, even if it doesn't always lead to more weight loss than just eating less.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
The metabolic switch from glycogenolysis to gluconeogenesis, fat oxidation and ketogenesis... seems to be one of the main drivers of the metabolic health benefits provided by IF
Why this rating
Well-established physiological response described in detail with references.
Source
Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Cardiometabolic Health: An Energy Metabolism Perspective
Manuel Dote‐Montero et al. · Nutrients · 2022
DOI 10.3390/nu14030489
narrative_reviewCited 54×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Intermittent fasting (IF) regimens improve body composition and cardiometabolic risk factors compared to unrestricted eating, primarily through energy deficit, but do not provide additional benefits over continuous daily caloric restriction when energy balance is matched.Good
- Time-restricted eating (TRE), specifically early TRE, can improve cardiometabolic markers such as blood pressure and glucose control even in the absence of weight loss (eucaloric conditions).Moderate
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