Joining the ranks of Keto diet, Mediterranean diet and Paleo diet, Intermittent fasting recently made the cut to the list of the most popular and effective weight loss diets. Intermittent fasting is the latest buzzword in the world of fitness. Intermittent fasting involves meat timing strategies that imply alternating and placing long period of intervals between meals. All meals are supposed to be had in a 12-hour window. Some people also fast for longer periods, ranging between 14 and 18 hours. This kind of dieting is said to greatly help with weight loss; but that's not the only reason you should consider going for it; Intermittent fasting may also help maintain liver health.
A team of Australian researchers have claimed that Intermittent fasting can support liver health and may also protect us against various diseases. Dr. Mark Larance, from University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre, headed the team to study the effects of intermittent fasting on a group of mice.
(Also Read: Meal Timing Strategies May Help You Lose Weight: Intermittent Fasting Diet Tips)
Intermittent diet may keep your liver healthy.
"The liver is one of the key fasting response organs in the body. The liver acts as a sort of metabolic hub. It is the first organ we looked at because of its importance," explained Dr Mark Larance, who is also the lead author of the study that was published in the journal 'Cell Reports'.
The researchers observed the effects of alternate-day fasting (24 hours of no food, followed by 24 hours of eating normally) on the organs and blood plasma of mice. The team discovered that fasting inhibits the secretion of a protein found in the liver called HNF4-(alpha). It further resulted in improved metabolism rate of the body, improved blood glucose levels and lower inflammation level.
"We know that fasting can be an effective intervention to treat disease and improve liver health. But we haven't known how fasting reprograms liver proteins, which perform a diverse array of essential metabolic functions. By studying the impact on proteins in the livers of mice, which are suitable human biological models, we now have a much better understanding of how this happens," said Dr. Larance.