The benefits and drawbacks of intermittent fasting for health and wellbeing are hotly debated. There is conflicting data regarding its benefits for weight loss, despite studies showing short-term benefits including lower cholesterol when people eat within a 10- to 12-hour window or enhanced gut microbiome in obese persons.

Intermittent fasting has also been demonstrated in certain studies to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, two heart disease risk factors. A new paper, however, indicated that eating within an 8-hour window may increase the risk of cardiovascular death by as much as 91%. The poster was presented at the EPI Lifestyle Scientific Sessions 2024 in Chicago.

In the most recent episode of our In Conversation podcast, Maria Cohut, our feature editor, and I got down to talk all things intermittent fasting in light of these new contentious findings.

We were joined in our quest for answers by Ali Javaheri, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at the Center for Cardiovascular Research at Washington University. She addressed questions about the effects of intermittent fasting on the body, its safety, and what to consider before beginning a practice.