Good health

Fasting diets may lead to increased risk of diabetes: Study

May 21, 2018

Fasting may increase the risk of diabetes and cause damaging side effects, according a Brazilian study.

Over the past few years, intermittent fasting diets have attracted a lot of popularity. Intermittent diets like the well-known 5:2 diet, which involves eating regularly five days and fasting on the other two days, might work for weight loss, but research suggests it could lead to an increased risk of diabetes.

Evidence of the diets’ success has been controversial and has led to some health experts warning of their potentially harmful long-term health effects.

Ana Bonassa, the lead researcher in the recent Brazilian 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 individuals, which could lead to diabetes and serious health issues.”

The research, presented at the European Society of Endocrinology annual meeting, looked at the effects of fasting every other day in normal adult mice over a three-month period.

It found that while the mice lost weight overall, the amount of fat around their stomach actually increased. Cells of the pancreas that release insulin also showed damage, and increased levels of free radicals and markers of insulin resistance were also detected.

Previous research has also proved that short-term fasting can produce molecules called free radicals. These are highly reactive chemicals that can cause damage to cells in the body, which may be associated with cancer risk, accelerated ageing and impaired organ function.

Bonassa added: “We should consider that overweight or obese people who opt for intermittent fasting diets may already have insulin resistance, so although this diet may lead to early, rapid weight loss, in the long-term there could be potentially serious damaging effects to their health, such as the development of type-2 diabetes.”

These results also showed that more investigation is needed to assess how many people may be affected. The researchers now plan to investigate how this diet impairs pancreas and insulin function. They add that those considering starting such diets should consider this carefully as it could have serious long-term effects.