Ke Yao, Hao Su, Kaiyin Cui, Ye Gao, Dengyun Xu, Qian Wang, Zhitong Ha, Teng Zhang, Shuning Chen, Tao Liu
Journal: The journal of nutrition, health & aging 2024;28(3):100165
PMID: 38308923
People with obesity and overweight are at increased risk of developing metabolic diseases. Intermittent fasting is considered an effective non-pharmaceutical management strategy for reducing weight and body fat. This systematic review and meta-analysis included nine randomised controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness of intermittent fasting on lipids, body composition, and body morphology in middle-aged and elderly people without metabolic diseases. Included studies used different intermittent fasting strategies such as alternate-day fasting (ADF), 5:2 fasting (2DW), time-restricted eating (TRF), and Ramadan fasting (FCR). The duration of intervention in the included studies ranged from six weeks to twelve weeks. This systematic review and meta-analysis found that intermittent fasting improved body weight, body mass index, fat mass, and triglycerides in adults over forty without metabolic diseases compared to a regular diet. Healthcare professionals can use the results of this study to understand that intermittent fasting could be an effective strategy for reducing fat mass and weight in middle-aged and elderly people without metabolic diseases. Further robust studies are needed to confirm the benefits of intermittent fasting due to the high variability between included studies.
OBJECTIVE
As the number of adults aged over 40 with obesity increases dramatically, intermittent fasting interventions (IF) may help them to lose fat and weight. This systematic review investigated the most recent research on the effects of intermittent fasting and a regular diet on body composition and lipids in adults aged over 40 with obesity without the metabolic disease.
DATA SOURCES
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on IF on adults aged over 40 with obesity were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, China Knowledge Network (CNKI), VIP database, Wanfang database with the experimental group using IF and the control group using a regular diet. Revman was used for meta-analysis. Effect sizes are expressed as weighted mean differences (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).
STUDY SELECTION
A total of 9 articles of randomised controlled trials that met the requirements were screened for inclusion. Studies typically lasted 2-6 weeks. The experimental population was aged 42-66 years, with a BMI range of 25.7-35 kg/m.
SYNTHESIS
A total of 9 RCTs were included. meta-analysis showed that body weight (MD: -2.05 kg; 95% CI (-3.84, -0.27); p = 0.02), BMI (MD: -0.73 kg/m; 95% CI (-1.05, -0.41); p < 0.001), fat mass (MD: -2.14 kg; 95% CI (-3.81, 0.47); p = 0.01), and TG (MD = -0.32 mmol/L, 95% CI (-0.50, -0.15, p < 0.001) were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group. No significant reduction in lean body mass (MD: -0.31 kg; 95% CI (-0.96, 0.34); p = 0.35).
CONCLUSION
IF had a reduction in body weight, BMI, fat mass, and TG in adults aged over 40 with obesity without metabolic disease compared to RD, and IF did not cause a significant decrease in lean body mass, which suggests healthy and effective fat loss. However, more long-term and high-quality trials are needed to reach definitive conclusions.
Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.
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