Similar late effects of a 7-week orthodox religious fasting and a time restricted eating pattern on anthropometric and metabolic profiles of overweight adults

Abstract

A hypocaloric diet, based on Orthodox fasting (OF) was followed by 29 overweight adults. A low-calorie, 16/8, time restricted eating (TRE) pattern was followed by 16 age- and weight-matched participants. Anthropometric, lipid, glycaemic and inflammation markers were assessed at baseline, at the end of the intervention (7 weeks from baseline) and 6 weeks after the cessation of diets (13 weeks from baseline). There was a trend of weight loss in both groups, which was evident at week 7 (TRE: −2.1 ± 1.0; OF: −2.0 ± 0.5 kg, p < 0.001 from baseline) and remained significant at week 13 (TRE: −2.9 ± 0.7; OF: −2.6 ± 0.3 kg, p < 0.001 from baseline). In the OF group, lipid concentrations declined at week 7 compared with baseline, increasing at week 13 compared with week 7. Our findings suggest that OF promotes a decrease in lipid concentrations, which however, is not evident 6 weeks after its end.

Keywords:

• Orthodox fasting
• time restricted eating
• intermittent fasting
• vitamins
• lipids
• weight loss

Author contributions

SNK conceptualised and designed the study. SNK, TK, LA collected all data. LA designed the dietary intervention. PK, KT and KM conducted the biochemical analysis of the samples. SP performed the statistical analysis and data interpretation, and contributed to the drafting of the manuscript. SNK, TK, PZ and KK analysed and interpreted the dietary data and the biochemical results. SNK and TK performed the literature review and drafted the first version of the manuscript. All authors have read and critically revised the manuscript and approved the final version.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).