Cyclical fasting in recent years has become very popular. This is a diet in which the periods of fasting and eating alternate. However, there are still all kinds of myths associated with this topic.
This article debunks the 7 most common myths about starvation, snacks and the frequency of eating.
1. Skipping breakfast leads to weight gain
"Breakfast is the most important meal .
" There is a myth that there is something "special" about breakfast. People believe that skipping breakfast leads to excessive hunger, food cravings and weight gain. Although many studies have found statistical links between skipping breakfast and being overweight / obese, this can be explained by the fact that a stereotypical person skipping breakfast generally takes less care of one's health. Interestingly, this issue was recently resolved in a randomized controlled study, which is the gold standard of science. This study was published in 2014, it compared the results of 283 adults with overweight and obesity, skipping and eating breakfast. After 16 weeks of the study, there was no difference in weight between the groups. This study shows that eating breakfast is not particularly important for weight loss, although there may be some individual characteristics. However, there are some studies showing that children and adolescents who eat breakfast tend to show better results in school. There are also studies that resulted in people losing weight in the course of time, while they usually used breakfast. This is the difference between people. For some people breakfast is useful, but for others there is not. It is not obligatory and there is nothing "magical" in it. Conclusion: Consumption of breakfast can be useful for many people, but it is not necessary. Controlled studies do not show any difference between skipping and eating breakfast for weight loss.
2. Frequent consumption of food accelerates metabolism
"Eat a lot, in small portions, to maintain metabolism .
" Many people believe that more frequent eating leads to an increased metabolic rate, which causes the body to burn more calories as a whole. The body really uses a certain amount of energy to digest and assimilate nutrients from food. This is called the thermal effect of food (TEP) and it is equivalent to about 20-30% of calories for proteins, 5-10% for carbohydrates and 0-3% for fats (4). On average, the thermal effect of food is somewhere around 10% of the total calorie intake. However, the total amount of calories consumed here is more important than the frequency of food consumed. The use of 6 dishes of 500 calories has exactly the same effect as eating 3 dishes of 1000 calories. Given the fact that the average thermal effect is 10%, in both cases it is 300 calories. This is confirmed by numerous studies of nutrition in humans showing that a decrease or increase in the frequency of food intake does not affect the total number of calories burned. Conclusion: The amount of calories burned is not related to the frequency of food intake. What is important is the total consumption of calories and the breakdown of macroelements.
3. Frequent eating helps reduce hunger
Some people believe that snacking helps to avoid food cravings and excessive hunger. It is interesting that in the course of several studies this issue was considered, and the obtained data are ambiguous. Although some studies suggest that more frequent meals reduce hunger, other studies show no results, however, others show an increased level of hunger. In one study comparing 3 high-protein meals with 6 high-protein meals, it was found that 3 meals actually better reduced the feeling of hunger. On the other hand, it may depend on individual characteristics. If snacks help you less to have a craving for food and lower the chance to afford excess, then probably this is a good idea. However, there is no evidence that snacking or more frequent eating reduces hunger in everyone. To each his own. Conclusion: There is no logical evidence that a more frequent intake of food generally reduces hunger or caloric intake. Some studies even show that more frequent use of food in small portions increases the feeling of hunger.
4. Frequent consumption of food in small portions can help reduce weight.
Frequent meals do not accelerate the metabolism. They also do not seem to reduce the feeling of hunger. If more frequent eating does not affect the equation of energy balance, then it should not have any effect on weight loss. In fact, this is confirmed by science. Most studies on this issue show that the frequency of food intake does not affect weight loss. For example, a study of 16 obese men and women showed no difference in weight loss, fat loss, or appetite when comparing 3 and 6 meals a day. However, if you understand that more frequent eating allows you to eat fewer calories and less defective food, then perhaps it is effective for you. Personally, I think that it is terribly inconvenient to eat so often, and even it becomes more difficult to adhere to a healthy diet. But for some people it can work. Conclusion: There is no evidence that changing the frequency of food intake will help you lose more weight. Most studies show that there is no difference.
5. The brain needs a constant source of glucose
Some people believe that if you do not eat carbohydrates every few hours, the brain will stop functioning. This judgment is based on the belief that the brain as a fuel can only use glucose (blood sugar). However, what often remains outside the discussion is that the body can easily produce the glucose needed by it with a process called gluconeogenesis. In most cases, it may not even be required, because the body accumulates glycogen (glucose) in the liver, and can use it to supply the brain with energy for hours. Even during prolonged starvation, malnutrition or a very low-carb diet, the body can produce ketone bodies from dietary fats. Ketone bodies can provide energy to part of the brain, significantly reducing the need for glucose. Thus, during prolonged fasting, the brain can easily maintain itself with the help of ketone bodies and glucose, obtained from proteins and fats. Also, from an evolutionary point of view, it makes no sense that we could not survive without a constant source of carbohydrates. If this were true, then humanity would have long since ceased to exist. Nevertheless, some people do report that they feel a decrease in blood sugar levels when they do not eat for a while. If this applies to you, then perhaps you should eat more often or at least consult a doctor before changing the diet. Conclusion: The body can produce glucose to power the brain with energy, even during prolonged fasting or malnutrition. Part of the brain can also use ketone bodies for energy.
6. Frequent eating and snacking are good for your health
It is unnatural for an organism to constantly be in a state of eating. In the process of evolution, people had to periodically experience periods of lack of food. There is evidence that short-term fasting stimulates the process of cellular recovery, called autophagy, that it uses old and dysfunctional proteins to produce energy. Autophagy can help protect against aging and diseases such as Alzheimer's, and can even reduce the risk of cancer. The truth is that periodic fasting has all the possible benefits for a healthy metabolism. There are also some studies suggesting that snacking and frequent eating can have a negative impact on health and increase the risk of the disease. For example, one study showed that, in combination with consuming large amounts of calories, a diet with more frequent meals can increase the amount of fat in the liver, indicating that snacking can increase the risk of fatty liver disease. There are also some non-experimental studies showing that people who eat more often have a much greater risk of developing colorectal cancer. Conclusion: It is a myth that snacks essentially have a good effect on health. Some studies show that snacking is harmful, while others show that periodic starvation has significant health benefits.
7. Fasting puts your body in a "malnutrition regime"
One of the common arguments against cyclic or interval fasting is that it can put your body in a "malnutrition regime". According to the statements, the refusal of food makes your body think that it is starving, so it turns off the metabolism and prevents the burning of fat. It's really true that long-term weight loss can reduce the amount of calories burned. This is a real "regime of malnutrition" (special term - adaptive thermogenesis). This is the actual impact, and can go so far that a day is burned by several hundred calories less. However, this happens when you lose weight and it does not matter which way you use. There is no evidence that this is more likely to occur with cyclic fasting than with other weight loss strategies. In fact, the data actually show that short-term fasting increases the metabolic rate. This is due to a rapid increase in the content of norepinephrine (norepinephrine), telling fat cells to destroy fat deposits and stimulating metabolism. Studies show that fasting up to 48 hours can actually accelerate the metabolism by about 3.6-14%. However, if you refrain from eating for much longer, the effect can be reversed and the metabolism decreases compared to the baseline. One study showed that fasting every other day for 22 days will not lead to a decrease in metabolic rate, but participants lost 4% of the mass of fatty tissue, which is impressive for such a short period as 3 weeks. Conclusion: It is erroneous that short-term starvation puts the body in a "malnutrition regime". The truth is that the metabolism actually increases during fasting to 48 hours. Based on recent recent studies, it is clear that interval fasting, such as a 16 hour break between dinner and breakfast, can provide remarkable benefits for maintaining optimal weight and health. For many, however, the very idea of giving up food for a period of time is terrible. This fear gets its roots in our unhealthy relationships with a sense of hunger. The feeling of hunger is a healthy signal from the body that certain changes and changes in the source of energy for the organism take place. Hunger should not cause fear, negative emotions or lead to a crazy gale. We live in a world where food is always available and we do not need to risk our lives to catch dinner. If you feel that your emotionally-charged relationship with hunger leads to the fact that you often overeat, break, if more than three hours have passed since your last meal, or are constantly afraid to stay hungry, then this problem needs to be solved before trying to lose weight . You are not afraid of sleepiness in the evening. Also, physical hunger is just a message from a body that can be reacted very calmly. The "Rainbow on the plate" program will help you create a more relaxed and neutral relationship with a sense of hunger. You can sign up for the program for free in a short time via this link.