Dietary Recommendations For Fasting Days In An Alternate-day Intermittent Fasting Pattern

Objective:With the proportion of obese people in the Chinese population increasing year by year and obesity-related diseases,the problem of weight loss is urgent.As a new concept of health,intermittent fasting has been proposed.Previous studies have shown that it can bring good weight loss effect,which has attracted more and more scholars’ attention.Interval energy restriction is an alternative method of weight loss,and many studies have shown not only weight loss but also other cardiovascular and blood sugar benefits,but so far studies in China have been limited,and none have compared the weight loss effects of different dietary patterns.The purpose of this study was to compare 1.To explore the safety,acceptability and effectiveness of alternative daily fasting patterns in Chinese people.2.Explore what eating patterns you should adopt on fasting days for better weight loss.Methods:This study was a randomized,open,parallel controlled,interventional,exploratory trial,consisting of a 3-day run-in period and a 28-day intervention period.A total of 60 subjects were enrolled in the study,ranging in age from 18 to 60 years,male or female,body mass index(BMI)of any kind,and their weight was stable during the first 3months of the study.Eligible subjects were randomly divided into three groups in a 1:1:1ratio,that is,group 1: fasting day diet with high protein and low carbohydrate diet pattern;Group 2: fasting day diet was normal protein normal carbohydrate diet pattern;Group 3: fasting diet,nutritious diet replacement diet.The primary outcome was the change in body weight at 28 days from baseline.Results:After 28 days of intervention,all participants lost an average of 2.53 kg,overweight or obese participants lost an average of 2.85 kg,and normal-weight participants lost an average of 2.03 kg.The mean levels of triglyceride,total cholesterol and LDL in all subjects were significantly decreased by 0.10mmol/L,0.15mmol/L and 0.11mmol/L,respectively,while the serum uric acid level was significantly increased by 13.17mmol/l.Comparison was made among the three groups of high protein group,normal protein group and meal bar replacement group.After 28 days,intervention weight loss was2.16 kg,2.63 kg and 2.94 kg,respectively,and there was no statistical significance between groups(P=0.841).The most common adverse reactions were dizziness,palpitation,fatigue and stomachache,and there was no statistical significance in the comparison of adverse reactions between the three groups.Conclusion:ADF is an effective short-term weight loss strategy,accepted by most Chinese participants and easy to adhere to,and brings good weight loss effect.However,this study showed that there was no significant difference in weight loss effect between the three different weight loss modes(high protein group,normal protein group and meal bar replacement group).So,we recommend not focusing too much on fasting day eating patterns and focusing on calorie restriction on fasting days.Additional cardiovascular benefits,including significant reductions in triglycerides,total cholesterol,and LDL,can be obtained by sticking to an intermittent diet.Intermittent fasting,as a new way of weight loss,is of great significance for alleviating the prevalence of obesity,reducing the morbidity and fatality associated with obesity,and reducing the social burden.