Intermittent Fasting Side Effects Could Negatively Impact Teens’ Metabolism: Study

While some prior research has indicated intermittent fasting offers health benefits for adults, new research suggests it may cause long-term side effects for teens.

According to findings published in the medical journal Cell Reports on February 14, short-term intermittent fasting may help improve teenagers’ blood sugar levels. However, practicing the technique for long periods of time could impair their metabolism, potentially increasing the risk of diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is a nutritional style where participants take periodic breaks from eating for up to 24 hours. The most common method includes fasting for 16 hours out of the day, and only eating during the remaining 8-hour window.

Some research indicates there are benefits, such as weight loss, combatting heart disease, boosting metabolism in adults, and improving insulin sensitivity.

However, additional data indicates it may pose risks to some participants, such as nutritional deficiencies if meals are not planned carefully. Other data indicates it can cause gastrointestinal issues, electrolyte imbalances, disrupt hormones, and increase the risk of cardiovascular events.

In the new study, a team of German researchers led by Dr. Stephan Herzig investigated the effects of intermittent fasting on metabolism and cell function. They used groups of old, middle-aged and young mice to compare the effects of both short-term and long-term intermittent fasting and how it translates to human health.

Mice had one day off with no food, followed by two days of regular feeding. The short-term group was fed like this for five weeks and the long-term group was fed this way for 10 weeks.

According to the data, short-term intermittent fasting improved blood glucose function among both young and old mice. However, long-term intermittent fasting impaired beta cell function in young mice.

Beta cells are a type of endocrine cell located in the pancreas and are important for regulating blood glucose levels. Impaired insulin production is linked to diabetes and impaired metabolism.

Researchers determined that the beta cells in young mice failed to mature properly after long-term intermittent fasting. They simply stopped producing insulin, indicating the onset of type 1 diabetes.

The same process was not seen among older mice. Researchers said this may be because the beta cells in older mice had already matured.

The team then compared the mice data to human data and found a similar pattern. Among patients with type 1 diabetes who had beta cells destroyed by autoimmune conditions, the beta cells had failed to mature. Researchers said the data suggests the same process seen in mice may also be possible in humans.

“In conclusion, our study underscores the importance of tailored approaches in dietary practices and highlights the need for comprehensive longitudinal studies to elucidate the (long term) effects of (intermittent fasting), particularly in human populations and individuals with a predisposition to diabetes,” Herzig’s team determined. “While (intermittent fasting) exhibits promising metabolic benefits in the (short term), the potential age-dependent adverse effects observed with prolonged fasting require more attention and caution.”