Intermittent fasting could increase heart attack and stroke risk

Sky News

19 Mar 202402:13

Summary

TLDRThe transcript discusses the practice of intermittent fasting, highlighting Suzanne's positive experiences with it for managing menopausal weight gain. Notable fasters like Rishi Sunak, Jennifer Aniston, and Elon Musk are mentioned. Despite benefits such as improved sleep, controlled eating, and reduced blood sugar levels, a new report from the United States suggests potential health risks, including a higher risk of death due to cardiovascular disease for those fasting 16 hours or more daily. The study's limitations are acknowledged, and its findings do not deter some, like Suzanne, from continuing intermittent fasting due to perceived benefits.

Takeaways

🥗 Suzanne started intermittent fasting about 5 years ago to manage menopausal weight gain.
🕒 Intermittent fasters eat during an 8-hour window and fast for the remaining 16 hours.
🌟 Celebrities like Rihanna, Jennifer Aniston, and Elon Musk are known to practice intermittent fasting.
🌿 The benefits for Suzanne include better sleep, controlled eating, reduced food cravings, and lower blood sugar levels.
🧬 Suzanne is aware of her family's high cholesterol and believes fasting helps mitigate this health risk.
🚨 A new report from the United States suggests potential serious health risks associated with fasting 16 hours or more a day.
💔 The study found a 91% higher risk of death due to cardiovascular disease among those who fasted for longer periods.
🔄 People with existing cardiovascular disease had a 66% higher risk of death from heart disease or stroke when fasting 14 to 16 hours a day.
❓ The report is not peer-reviewed, and its authors acknowledge it cannot prove cause and effect due to its limitations.
🍽️ The study's findings do not consider the quality of food consumed or the reasons behind fasting, which could be cultural or health-related.
📉 Despite the warnings, some individuals like Suzanne continue intermittent fasting, convinced of its benefits over potential harms.

Q & A

What is intermittent fasting and how often does Suzanne practice it?
-Intermittent fasting is a dietary pattern that involves alternating periods of eating and fasting. Suzanne practices it by eating for eight hours and fasting for 16 hours, about once or twice a week.
Why did Suzanne turn to intermittent fasting?
-Suzanne turned to intermittent fasting to manage her weight gain during menopause.
Who are some famous fasters mentioned in the script?
-Some famous fasters mentioned include Rishi Sunak, Jennifer Aniston, and Elon Musk.
What benefits has intermittent fasting provided for Suzanne?
-Intermittent fasting has helped Suzanne sleep better, control her eating habits, reduce food cravings, and lower her blood sugars. It also potentially helps manage her family's tendency towards high cholesterol.
What is the new report from the United States about fasting and health risks?
-The new report from the United States found that people who fasted for 16 hours or more a day had a 91% higher risk of death due to cardiovascular disease. For those with existing cardiovascular disease, fasting for 14 to 16 hours a day was associated with a 66% higher risk of death from heart disease or stroke.
What is the limitation of the mentioned report on fasting and health risks?
-The report is not peer-reviewed, and its authors stress that it cannot prove cause and effect. It only looked at two days' worth of food intake and did not consider the quality of food consumed or the reasons behind fasting.
What does the report suggest about the overall risk of death from any cause?
-The report found that restricted eating did not reduce the overall risk of death from any cause.
How might the report's findings affect people who practice intermittent fasting?
-The warnings from the report might deter some people from intermittent fasting due to the potential health risks. However, others, like Suzanne, may continue because they believe the benefits outweigh the risks.
What is the importance of considering the food one eats during intermittent fasting?
-The quality of the food consumed during eating windows is possibly more important than the fasting intervals themselves, as it can significantly impact health outcomes.
What other factors might influence the decision to continue or discontinue intermittent fasting?
-Factors such as personal health conditions, cultural practices, and individual experiences with the benefits and drawbacks of fasting can influence the decision to continue or discontinue intermittent fasting.
What should one consider before starting intermittent fasting?
-Before starting intermittent fasting, one should consider their health status, consult with healthcare professionals, and be aware of the potential risks and benefits to make an informed decision.

Outlines

00:00

🍽️ Intermittent Fasting and Its Popularity

This paragraph discusses Suzanne's adoption of intermittent fasting as a lifestyle change to manage menopausal weight gain. It highlights the practice of eating within an 8-hour window and fasting for the remaining 16 hours. The paragraph also mentions famous individuals like Rishi Sunak, Jennifer Aniston, and Elon Musk who follow intermittent fasting. Suzanne shares the benefits she has experienced, such as improved sleep, controlled eating habits, reduced cravings, and lower blood sugar levels. She is aware of her family's history of high cholesterol and monitors it during her fasting periods. However, a new report from the United States suggests potential health risks associated with fasting for 16 hours or more per day, including a 91% higher risk of death due to cardiovascular disease. The study also found that fasting did not reduce the overall risk of death from any cause. The report's authors emphasize that it is not peer-reviewed and cannot establish cause and effect, as it only examined two days of food intake from participants. Despite the warnings, some individuals like Suzanne continue intermittent fasting, believing it does more good than harm.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Fasting

Fasting is the practice of abstaining from food and sometimes drinks for a period of time. In the context of the video, it refers to intermittent fasting, where individuals like Suzanne fast for 16 hours a day as a lifestyle choice to manage weight gain and other health benefits. The video discusses both the personal experiences and health benefits of fasting, as well as recent findings that suggest potential risks associated with this practice.

💡Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is a dietary pattern that cycles between periods of eating and fasting. The video highlights that fasters eat during a specific window, up to 8 hours, and fast for the remaining 16 hours. This method is used not only for weight management but also for its potential health benefits, such as improved sleep and controlled eating habits.

💡Menopausal Weight Gain

Menopausal weight gain refers to the increase in body weight that some women experience during menopause due to hormonal changes, particularly a decrease in estrogen levels. In the video, Suzanne uses intermittent fasting as a strategy to manage this type of weight gain.

💡Health Benefits

Health benefits refer to the positive effects on one's physical well-being that result from a particular practice or lifestyle change. In the context of the video, these benefits are associated with intermittent fasting and include better sleep, controlled eating, and lower blood sugar levels.

💡Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease refers to a class of diseases that involve the heart and blood vessels, including heart disease and stroke. The video brings up a new report from the United States that suggests a potential link between fasting for 16 hours or more per day and an increased risk of death due to cardiovascular disease.

💡Risk of Death

Risk of death refers to the likelihood of an individual dying, often due to specific health conditions or lifestyle factors. In the video, a report indicates that there may be an increased risk of death associated with prolonged fasting, particularly among those with existing cardiovascular disease.

💡Cause and Effect

Cause and effect refers to the relationship between an action (cause) and the result (effect) that follows from it. The video emphasizes that the study mentioned cannot prove cause and effect, meaning it cannot definitively establish that fasting is the direct cause of the increased risk of death.

💡Peer-Reviewed

Peer-reviewed is a process where research papers or reports are evaluated by experts in the same field before they are published. This ensures the quality and validity of the research. The video mentions that the report discussing the risks of fasting is not peer-reviewed, which implies that its findings have not been scrutinized by external experts.

💡Food Intake

Food intake refers to the amount and types of food that an individual consumes. The video discusses the importance of not only the timing of food intake, as in fasting, but also the quality of the food consumed, suggesting that what one eats may be more important than the fasting schedule.

💡Cultural Reasons

Cultural reasons refer to the practices and traditions that are part of a society's or group's beliefs and customs. In the context of the video, it implies that fasting might be practiced for reasons beyond health, such as religious or cultural traditions.

💡Health Reasons

Health reasons pertain to the motivations for actions or choices based on improving or maintaining one's physical well-being. In the video, health reasons are cited as a motivation for individuals like Suzanne to adopt intermittent fasting as a way to manage menopausal weight gain and other health issues.

Highlights

Suzanne has been practicing intermittent fasting for about 5 years to manage menopausal weight gain.

Intermittent fasters like Suzanne eat during an 8-hour window and fast for the remaining 16 hours.

Famous fasters include Rishi Sunak, Jennifer Aniston, and Elon Musk.

Intermittent fasting has provided Suzanne with several benefits, including better sleep and controlled eating habits.

Suzanne doesn't crave food when she fasts, which is beneficial for her as she has a family tendency towards high cholesterol.

A new report from the United States suggests that controlled eating like fasting could have potential health risks.

People who fasted for 16 hours or more a day had a 91% higher risk of death due to cardiovascular disease, according to the report.

The study found that fasting for 14 to 16 hours a day increased the risk of death from heart disease or stroke by 66% among those with existing cardiovascular disease.

The report did not find that time-restricted eating reduced the overall risk of death from any cause.

The report is not peer-reviewed, and its authors acknowledge that it cannot prove cause and effect.

The study only looked at two days' worth of food intake and people who didn't eat for around 16 hours during those periods.

The reasons behind fasting and the food consumed during eating periods are not clear from the study.

The importance of the food one eats is possibly more significant than the breaks in between eating, whether for cultural or health reasons.

The warnings from the report may deter some from intermittent fasting, but others like Suzanne will continue due to perceived benefits.

The transcript discusses the potential benefits and risks of intermittent fasting, highlighting the need for more comprehensive research.