5 Myths About Fasting (Intermittent) and Frequency (Eating 6 meals a day)

Is intermittent fasting better than eating 6 smaller meals a day?

This blog post is based off of Healthline's "11 Myths About Fasting and Frequency" and features the top 6 myths about fasting and frequency.

1. Skipping breakfast makes you fat

One 16-week study in 283 adults with overweight and obesity observed no weight difference between those who ate breakfast and those who didn’t

Thus, breakfast doesn’t largely affect your weight, although there may be some individual variability. Some studies even suggest that people who lose weight over the long term tend to eat breakfast.

What’s more, children and teenagers who eat breakfast tend to perform better at school.

Breakfast can benefit many people, but it’s not essential for your health. Controlled studies do not show any difference in weight loss between those who eat breakfast and those who skip it.

2. Eating frequently helps reduce hunger

Although some studies suggest that eating more frequent meals leads to reduced hunger, other studies have found no effect or even increased hunger levels

One study that compared eating three or six high-protein meals per day found that eating three meals reduced hunger more effectively

That said, responses may depend on the individual. If frequent eating reduces your cravings, it’s probably a good idea. Still, there’s no evidence that snacking or eating more often reduces hunger for everyone.

4. Frequent meals can help you lose weight

Since eating more frequently doesn’t boost your metabolism, it likewise doesn’t have any effect on weight loss.

Indeed, a study in 16 adults with obesity compared the effects of eating 3 and 6 meals per day and found no difference in weight, fat loss, or appetite.

There’s no evidence that changing your meal frequency helps you lose weight.

5. Eating often is good for your health

Some people believe that incessant eating benefits your health.

However, short-term fasting induces a cellular repair process called autophagy, in which your cells use old and dysfunctional proteins for energy.

Some studies even suggest that snacking or eating very often harms your health and raises your risk of disease.

For example, one study found that a high-calorie diet with numerous meals caused a substantial increase in liver fat, indicating a higher risk of fatty liver disease

Additionally, some observational studies show that people who eat more often have a much higher risk of colorectal cancer

6. Intermittent fasting makes you lose muscle

Some people believe that when you fast, your body starts burning muscle for fuel.

Although this happens with dieting in general, no evidence suggests that it occurs more with intermittent fasting than other methods.

On the other hand, studies indicate that intermittent fasting is better for maintaining muscle mass.

There’s no evidence that fasting causes more muscle loss than conventional calorie restriction. In fact, studies demonstrate that intermittent fasting may help you maintain muscle mass while dieting.

Conclusion

- So which method is better? It depends. Your body may react differently to these routines, and some might find one method better than the other It's best that you try both these methods out for yourself and choose the one that works best for you.

Sources: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-myths-fasting-and-meal-frequency#section9

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