From headache to heart disease: 7 reasons why you shouldn’t be intermittent fasting for weight loss
Published on: Sept. 1, 2025, 10:05 a.m. | Source: Times of India
Who cares to eat when fasting is trending!Intermittent fasting has become a widely popular method for weight loss and improved metabolism, celebrated by health influencers, celebrities, and tech leaders alike. The simplicity of eating within a set time window, skipping meals like breakfast, and losing weight as a consequence sounds too good to pass up.But here’s the kicker you should know before jumping on the fasting bandwagon: the science behind IF is still evolving, and cautionary signs are emerging.Intermittent fasting (IF) is the practice of cycling between eating periods and fasting, with popular methods like 16:8, where you eat during 8 hours, fast for 16, or the 5:2 approach, where you eat normally for five days, and intake very limited calories on the rest of two days.Although this dieting pattern has become trendy and has been approved by social media, it’s important to understand the lesser-known, everyday signs and long-term risks that come with extreme eating schedules.In fact, a recent research analyzed data from more than 19,000 adults, and found that those who confined their eating to less than eight hours a day faced a 135% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, issues with the heart and blood vessels, than people who ate over 12-14 hours.And that’s not where the perils end.So, what other side effects does this trendy diet pattern come with?
