The Study
The Effects of Isocaloric Intermittent Fasting vs. Daily Caloric Restriction on Weight loss and Metabolic Risk Factors for Non-communicable Chronic Diseases: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled or Comparative Trials.
This study is a summary of other studies that compared two ways to eat less: fasting some days or eating a little less every day. It shows they work about the same for losing weight, but we can't be sure which is better because the studies weren't clear enough in how they were done.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review.
Where the score came from
This study looked at whether eating less on some days (intermittent fasting) works better than eating a little less every day (daily dieting) when total food amount is the same.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 524 / 100
Quality score
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of cohort studies. They sit above a single cohort study but below a single randomized trial, because the underlying evidence is still observational.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1The results suggest no big difference between the two diets for most health benefits, but intermittent fasting might have small advantages for fat loss and blood sugar control.
- 2Both ways of eating helped people lose weight.
- 3Intermittent fasting might help lose more body fat and improve insulin sensitivity slightly better in some cases, based on two studies each.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Year
2022
Authors
Armin Ezzati, S. Rosenkranz, J. Phelan, Cindy Logan
Related Content
Claims (4)
If you eat the same number of calories and protein, fasting every now and then works just as well for losing weight as eating less every day.
Some people think that skipping meals on certain days (like the 4:3 or 5:2 plans) could help the body use insulin better than just eating fewer calories every day, but we only have a couple of small studies to back that up.
Eating only on certain days or within a short daily window might help people with extra weight lose more body fat than eating the same number of calories every day, but we only have a couple of studies to back this up.
If you're an adult with extra weight, cutting calories by either fasting some days or eating less every day leads to similar weight loss and health improvements — neither method works much better than the other if you eat the same total amount of food.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.