A 16:8 diet is associated with a 91% higher risk of cardiovascular death.

nutrition

by alex mitchell and Brooke Steinberg

The hugely popular intermittent fasting method used by celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Heidi Klum and Jennifer Lopez has been linked to a shocking increase in the risk of cardiovascular death, according to a newly published study. It was found that there is a relationship.

People who follow the so-called 16:8 diet (eating only 8 hours a day and fasting for the remaining 16 hours) have a higher risk of dying from heart disease than people who follow a diet. The South West News Service reported that it was 91% higher and lasted for 12 or 16 hours.

“Our findings encourage a more careful and individualized approach to dietary recommendations, ensuring that recommendations are consistent with individual health status and the latest scientific evidence. ” lead author Dr. Victor Wenze Zhong said in a statement.

“I was surprised to discover that research showed that people who followed an eight-hour time-restricted eating schedule were more likely to die from cardiovascular disease,” said Professor and Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Shanghai University, China. Zhong added. Chiao Tung University School of Medicine.

Data shows that people with cardiovascular disease who eat between eight and 10 hours a day have a 66% higher risk of dying from heart disease or stroke.

Researchers analyzed the dietary habits of more than 20,000 American adults, with an average age of 49, over a median of eight years.

The study was presented Monday at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Sciences Session 2024 in Chicago.

Previous research has also shown that time-restricted eating is no different from counting calories.

Dr. Christopher D. Gardner of Stanford University criticized the new study for relying on patients' self-reports of eating habits and meal timing.

“This may be influenced by participants' memories and recollections, and therefore may not accurately assess typical dietary patterns,” he said, adding that future research may be more sensitive to the nutritional value of the meals in question. He added that more emphasis is needed.

“Without this information, we cannot determine whether nutrient density is an alternative explanation for findings that currently focus on meal time frames,” he said.

Other healthy eating experts, such as nutritionist Rania Bataineh, have also expressed concerns about the 16:8 law.

“My problem with this is that sometimes I get so depressed into the morning hours (until noon or even after) that I feel lightheaded, very hungry, irritable, and have low energy. It’s a possibility,” said Bataine, author of “The One.” One-one diet,” he told the Post.

Instead, they recommend not eating for 12 hours starting late in the evening.

“In a 12-hour window, you can refuel 5 times at 3-hour intervals. Of course, if you're too full from breakfast or lunch, you can skip the snacks in between. Basically, you can refuel just as much as you need to get through the day. “By feeding and nourishing your body with essential nutrients, it helps support and resist after-dinner snacking,” Bataine said.

“This is about structure, not restriction, and is 100% normal,” she added. “Rather than labeling it as 'fasting', many people actually practice it as part of their daily routine and lifestyle.”