New research suggests that skipping carbs just one day a week could offer similar health benefits to intermittent fasting.
A University of Surrey study has found that low-carb days encourage the body to burn fat for energy, much like fasting diets do.
This approach could improve metabolic health without the challenge of severe calorie restriction that many find difficult to maintain.
The scientists recruited 12 adults aged 20 to 65, all considered overweight or obese.
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Participants followed three different diets, each for 36 hours – one full day plus two nights’ sleep.
They tried a normal diet, a low-carb diet with normal calories, and a low-carb diet with reduced calories.
After each diet period, researchers measured how participants’ bodies responded.
The researchers discovered that regardless of calorie intake, low-carb diets prompted participants’ bodies to burn fat for energy.
This metabolic response was similar to what occurs during intermittent fasting.
“What we’re interested in is not necessarily about weight loss, but the metabolic effect of this dietary intervention,” explained Dr Adam Collins, co-author of the study and Associate Professor of Nutrition at the University of Surrey.
Dr Collins explained that the body is designed to use carbohydrates for energy after meals, then switch to burning fat between meals and overnight.
However, when we eat too much and too frequently, our bodies rarely make this switch, resulting in “metabolic mismanagement”.
This leads to fat accumulating around our waists, inside organs, and in blood vessels, contributing to health problems.
Periods of reduced carbohydrate intake help the body to start removing accumulated fat
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Periods of intermittent fasting or reduced carb intake help the body “clear the decks” and start removing accumulated fat, according to Dr Collins.
While some people follow low-carb diets permanently, this might impair their ability to process glucose long-term.
Alternating between low-carb days and normal eating appears to be more sustainable, especially for those who enjoy pasta and bread.
Dr Collins emphasised that moderation is key to a healthy diet.
“No food is a sin,” he said. “Carbohydrates aren’t bad. Fat isn’t bad. It’s all about everything in moderation.”
