Is intermittent fasting good for your health?
Intermittent fasting, or IF, isn't just a diet. It's a pattern of eating. It's not about what you eat, but when. The idea is simple. You cycle between periods of eating and fasting.
Popular methods include the 16/8 method. This involves fasting for 16 hours each day and eating all meals within an eight-hour window. Or the 5/2 diet. You eat normally for five days of the week and restrict calories to about 500 to 600 calories on the other two days. Finally, there is the eat-stop-eat method that involves a 24-hour fast once or twice a week.
What are the benefits of skipping meals?
Supporters of intermittent fasting say it can lead to improvements in brain health, longevity and even reduce inflammation, and there is a growing body of research to support them.
A review by the National Institute on Ageing highlights that intermittent fasting can lead to improvements in various health conditions, including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancers and neurological disorders.
Harvard Health Publishing also notes that intermittent fasting can lower blood sugar levels, reduce inflammation and help clear out toxins and damaged cells, which lowers the risk of cancer and enhances brain function.
Furthermore, a study cited by Science Daily reports that intermittent fasting can produce clinically significant weight loss and improve metabolic health in individuals with obesity.
While these findings are promising, it's important to note that more research is needed to fully understand the long-term effects of intermittent fasting on human health.
What are the disadvantages?
Intermittent fasting is not without potential drawbacks. Some individuals may experience side effects such as increased hunger, headaches, mood changes and fatigue. There are also risks of malnutrition if it's not practiced correctly, as well as dehydration and digestive issues.
Moreover, studies have shown that it might lead to muscular mass loss, and in some cases, it could exacerbate disordered eating behaviours, including binge eating. Long-term adherence to IF can be challenging due to severe hunger and the biological urge to overeat after fasting periods.
So while intermittent fasting may offer benefits for some, it's essential to approach it with caution and consider individual health conditions, especially for those on medications or with specific dietary needs. There you have it.
词汇表
intermittent fasting [ˌɪntəˈmɪtənt ˈfɑːstɪŋ] 间歇性禁食,断食疗法(一种在进食和禁食循环的饮食模式)
16/8 method 16/8饮食法(每天禁食16小时,进食集中在8小时内)
5:2 diet 5:2饮食法(一周5天正常饮食,另外2天限制热量至500-600大卡)
eat-stop-eat method 进食-停止-进食法(每周1-2次进行24小时禁食)
skip meals [skɪp miːlz] 不吃饭,跳过用餐
longevity [lɒnˈdʒevəti] 长寿,长命
inflammation [ˌɪnfləˈmeɪʃn] 炎症,发炎
obesity [əʊˈbiːsəti] 肥胖,肥胖症
diabetes [ˌdaɪəˈbiːtiːz] 糖尿病
cardiovascular disease [ˌkɑːdiəʊˈvæskjələ(r) dɪˈziːz] 心血管疾病
neurological disorder [ˌnjʊərəˈlɒdʒɪkl dɪsˈɔːdə] 神经紊乱,神经系统疾病
blood sugar levels 血糖水平
clear out toxins [klɪə(r) aʊt ˈtɒksɪnz] 清除毒素
damaged cells [ˈdæmɪdʒd selz] 受损细胞
clinically significant [ˈklɪnɪkli sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt] 具临床意义的;临床显著的
metabolic [ˌmetəˈbɒlɪk] 代谢的,新陈代谢的
side effect [saɪd ɪˈfekt] 副作用;意外结果
malnutrition [ˌmælnjuːˈtrɪʃn] 营养不良,营养失调
dehydration [ˌdiːhaɪˈdreɪʃn] 脱水,极度干渴
muscular mass loss [ˈmʌskjələ(r) mæs lɒs] 肌肉量流失
exacerbate [ɪɡˈzæsəbeɪt] 加剧,使恶化
disordered eating [dɪsˈɔːdəd ˈiːtɪŋ] 饮食失调
binge eating [bɪndʒ ˈiːtɪŋ] 暴饮暴食
adherence [ədˈhɪərəns] 坚持,遵守
biological urge [ˌbaɪəˈlɒdʒɪkl ɜːdʒ] 生理冲动,生物本能
be on medications [ˌmedɪˈkeɪʃnz] 正在服药
dietary needs [ˈdaɪətəri niːdz] 饮食需求
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Do you really know|间歇性禁食对你的健康有益吗?
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