Even among the diet-weary and body positive, intermittent fasting appears to be quite beloved. People credit this not-quite-a-diet approach to eating for everything from six-pack abs to high energy. Even though fasting seems a bit extreme, science cautiously backs up the claims that celebrities and influencers make about IF — it really does seem to boost your metabolism in ways that can help you reach your weight loss goals. And now, a new study suggests that intermittent fasting may also have anti-inflammatory benefits.
The findings of the study were presented on Saturday at the American Heart Association conference that ran online. The research, conducted by scientists at Intermountain Healthcare Heart Institute in Salt Lake City, followed 67 participants for six months, all of whom had at least one metabolic syndrome feature — such as obesity or high blood pressure — or unmedicated type 2 diabetes, EurekAlert reported. It’s important to note that the study was tiny but still noteworthy since people have leaned heavily into IF the past decade (even though fasting has been a part of many cultures for literally centuries).
