Fasting diets may raise risk of diabetes
Popular fasting diets involve going without food for two days a week, or every other day.
Fasting every other day to lose weight could have damaging side effects. That is the conclusion of a group of scientists speaking this weekend at the European Society of Endocrinology’s annual meeting.
Their findings suggest that fasting-based diets may impair the action of sugar-regulating hormone insulin, and lead to increased risk of diabetes. Care should be taken before starting such programmes, say researchers.
Ana Bonassa, whose team from the University of São Paulo in Brazil carried out the study, said: This is the first study to show that, despite weight loss, intermittent fasting diets may actually damage the pancreas and affect insulin function in normal healthy indi...