Fasting for 24 hours three times a week, but not on consecutive days, can improve how well your body handles sugar.

Prolonged fasting (72 hours) impairs glucose tolerance, resulting in higher blood glucose and insulin responses to carbohydrate intake.

Specific intermittent fasting patterns (one 36-hour fast per week, two non-consecutive 24-hour fasts, or three separate 16-hour fasts) increase norepinephrine, fat oxidation, and glucose tolerance while avoiding metabolic downshift.

Skipping meals intermittently for two weeks didn’t change how the body uses sugar, fat, or muscle protein in healthy, lean people—even when their insulin levels were raised.

Skipping meals at certain times of the day for a few months can slightly lower blood sugar levels in people with metabolic syndrome.