Most people across the globe have tried at least one diet in their lifetime. Whether it is the infamous Atkins Diet (low carb) or one of these new fancy diets, such as the Alkaline Diet or the Dukan Diet, that are plugged by celebrities who have no real knowledge of nutrition or metabolic adaptation.

But there is one fad that took the world by storm that isn’t all that outrageous. Intermittent fasting is basically restricting the timeframe in which you consume your calories. For example, you don’t have breakfast as soon as you wake up. Instead, you hold off and wait until lunch to have your first meal. Then you consume your daily calories in either a six, seven- or eight-hour window.

While this isn’t some magical way of losing weight like so many people would believe, it can become a handy tool to utilize as it would make calorie restriction a lot easier and therefore the basic ‘calories in vs calories out’ would come into play.

But what about what these social media influencers claim regarding IF? What really is fact or fiction?

Based of recent scientific studies, here are some facts regarding the benefits of intermittent fasting:

1. Reduction of Fasting Insulin Levels. Studies have shown that intermittent fasting can lower fasting insulin levels significantly [1]. This is beneficial because further research has shown that insulin suppression can have a direct correlation to weight loss [2] and help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.
2. Improved Brain & Heart Health. A study done in 2016 found that one benefit of intermittent fasting was the increased resistance of the brain and heart to stress [3]. This is beneficial for obvious reasons and seems to be one claim that is published on numerous publications.
3. Reduced chance of chronic diseases. The same study also showed the increased resistance of cells, tissues and organs to stress and common diseases that are associated with aging and overindulgent lifestyles [3], such as Alzheimer’s and cancer. Note: This is not saying that IF can cure or even prevent cancer, just that it can increase resistance of the cells to stress that can cause such diseases.
4. IF increases cell repair. While at this point it has only been proven in mice, intermittent fasting has shown to upregulate cell repair, or what is known as autography [4]. This is beneficial as it basically replaces the ‘waste’ in body with healthy cells, like mitochondria, which are your cellular engines. It seems pretty straight forward that a healthier cell would be more efficient than a damaged one.

Now while these facts have been supported by science, there is many myths out there that have spouted by people with little to no insight. Here are some myths that have been squashed:

1. You should fast for days, not hours. Some influencers have been pushing some ridiculous notion that for this to be beneficial, you should fast for at least one whole day. Not only is this ridiculous and not supported by any scientific data, it can also be dangerous for some people (those with hypoglycemia).
2. You can eat whatever you want in that timeframe. This is another ludicrous notion. The basic principal of calories in vs calories out still applies, no matter how short your IF window is. Even if you fast for 20 hours and only each for four, you still have to abide by your daily caloric intake.