6 tips to ensure heart health during intermittent fasting

The Mechanism of Intermittent Fasting

“It is trendy now-a-days to follow IF as if it is a discovery but the centuries-old tradition of fasting for a day every week is a form of IF. It is perceived that weight loss can be swift and significantly higher with IF regimens based on animal experiments. In addition, physiologically a fed state promotes cell growth whereas fasting state promotes cell breakdown and repair and certain small human studies showed IF could help in recovering from diabetes, weight loss, cancer, thyroid problems etc,” stated Dr. C. Raghu, Clinical Director & Senior Interventional Cardiologist at Yashoda Hospitals Hyderabad.

Mistakes to avoid

Dr. Raghu believes that before starting an intermittent fast to protect heart health, one should also consider the calories ingested during the meal window and any pre-existing medical issues.

“A recent study presented at an American Heart Association meeting showed that IF of more than 16 hours had increased cardiovascular event by 91%. A lot of criticism of the study methodology and interpretation of findings happened but that is not important. Recent studies also showed that it is calorie limitation which is important rather than time restricted eating alone,” says the expert.

Protect your heart health

Important cardiovascular health methods that must be adhered to during intermittent fasting are discussed by Dr. C. Raghu.

• IF requires maintaining the circadian rhythm, which means people should eat during the day and refrain from eating or snacking at night.
• Longer-than-normal fasting periods can lead to imbalances in sodium, potassium, and other minerals in certain individuals who take drugs for heart disease or blood pressure. Thus, seek medical advice prior to starting IF.
• If a regimen needs to be implemented gradually over several months, shorten the window of time they eat each day so that they can fast for 16 to 18 hours every day.
• For IF to be effective, calorie restriction must also be taken into account; IF is not the most significant factor.
• Snacking should be avoided between meals, even when on an IF diet. Exercise and increasing muscle tone are other crucial tactics for achieving healthy weight loss.
• Before beginning an IF regimen, it is crucial to understand that it must be continued for the rest of one’s life and that stopping abruptly and returning to regular eating patterns could cause weight gain rather than decrease.