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New research presented recently at the European Society of Endocrinology annual meeting is suggesting the intermittent fasting diets may actually damage the pancreas and increase a person's risk for type 2 diabetes. The research stands in opposition to many studies in recent years that have pointed to the positive health effects of intermittent fasting and experts suggest this new data should be treated with caution.
The new study, from a team at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, set out to investigate the effect of fasting on body weight, free radical levels and insulin function. For three months, healthy adult rats were subjected to intermittent fasting consisting of no food every other day. Although a decrease in overall body weight was recorded across the experiment period, an increase in abdominal fat tissue was identified.
Most striking is the study's finding that after three months of this diet, insulin-producing cells in the pancreas displayed damage. Markers of insulin resistance were identified, as were increased levels of free radicals.
"This is the first study to show that, despite weight loss, intermittent fasting diets may actually damage the pancreas and affect insulin function in normal healthy individuals, which could lead to diabetes and serious health issues," says Ana Bonassa, one of the researchers on the project.
The research was presented as part of a conference presentation, is currently unpublished and is not peer-reviewed, so caution is necessary when evaluating its conclusions. The report also stands in direct contrast to several strong studiesrecently suggesting that fasting can actually improve a person's health. More specifically, a study from the University of Southern California in 2017 found that mimicking a fasting diet in mice with diabetes actually repaired insulin production and stabilized blood glucose levels. These results have also been replicated in humans.
https://newatlas.com/intermittent-fasting-causes-diabetes-debate/54685/
The new study, from a team at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, set out to investigate the effect of fasting on body weight, free radical levels and insulin function. For three months, healthy adult rats were subjected to intermittent fasting consisting of no food every other day. Although a decrease in overall body weight was recorded across the experiment period, an increase in abdominal fat tissue was identified.
Most striking is the study's finding that after three months of this diet, insulin-producing cells in the pancreas displayed damage. Markers of insulin resistance were identified, as were increased levels of free radicals.
"This is the first study to show that, despite weight loss, intermittent fasting diets may actually damage the pancreas and affect insulin function in normal healthy individuals, which could lead to diabetes and serious health issues," says Ana Bonassa, one of the researchers on the project.
The research was presented as part of a conference presentation, is currently unpublished and is not peer-reviewed, so caution is necessary when evaluating its conclusions. The report also stands in direct contrast to several strong studiesrecently suggesting that fasting can actually improve a person's health. More specifically, a study from the University of Southern California in 2017 found that mimicking a fasting diet in mice with diabetes actually repaired insulin production and stabilized blood glucose levels. These results have also been replicated in humans.
https://newatlas.com/intermittent-fasting-causes-diabetes-debate/54685/