{"id":291023,"date":"2026-02-10T19:36:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T19:36:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/291023\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T19:36:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T19:36:12","slug":"intermittent-fasting-aids-symptoms-supports-fat-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/291023\/","title":{"rendered":"Intermittent Fasting Aids Symptoms, Supports Fat Loss"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"FemaleShare on Pinterest<\/a>A new study suggests that time-restricted eating, a form of intermittent fasting, may help manage Crohn\u2019s disease symptoms. Luis Velasco\/StocksyResearchers say intermittent fasting can help reduce symptoms and inflammation in people with Crohn\u2019s disease.Experts say fasting can be an effective treatment for Crohn\u2019s because it helps reduce inflammation throughout the body.Intermittent fasting may also support fat loss in people with overweight and obesity who live with Crohn\u2019s.Intermittent fasting may not be suitable for some people with Crohn\u2019s disease, especially those experiencing weight loss associated with the condition.<\/p>\n

Researchers report that intermittent fasting could help people with Crohn\u2019s disease manage their chronic condition.<\/p>\n

\u201cTime-restricted feeding is showing real promise as a new way to help people with Crohn\u2019s disease manage not only their symptoms but also their overall health,\u201d said Andres Hurtado-Lorenzo<\/a>, PhD, the senior vice president of Translational Research & IBD Ventures at the Crohn\u2019s & Colitis Foundation<\/a>, which funded the research.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis research suggests that changing when we eat \u2014 not just what we eat \u2014 can improve metabolism, help the immune system work better, and support long-term remission from Crohn\u2019s disease,\u201d Hurtado said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Calgary in Canada, involved 35 adults with Crohn\u2019s disease and weight management issues. The findings were published on February 9 in Gastroenterology<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The researchers assigned 20 participants to an intermittent fasting schedule. <\/p>\n

The protocol involved eating all meals within an 8-hour window each day and fasting for the other 16 hours. The other 15 participants were told to adhere to a more regular eating pattern.<\/p>\n

Both groups ate similar foods and consumed the same amounts of calories. The study period lasted for 12 weeks. Researchers measured disease activity, inflammation, and body composition at the start and at the end of the study period.<\/p>\n

The researchers reported that participants on the time-restricted eating regimen reduced Crohn\u2019s disease activity by 40% and abdominal discomfort<\/a> by 50% over the 12-week period, compared with subjects on a standard eating schedule.<\/p>\n

The researchers added that the fasting participants showed notable improvements in blood markers for inflammation and immune health. They also lost more than 5 pounds during the 12-week study period while the subjects on regular diets gained more than 3 pounds on average.<\/p>\n

Experts not involved in the study say the findings bolster existing evidence that fasting can be beneficial to people with Crohn\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a thoughtful and encouraging randomized study suggesting that time-restricted eating may improve symptoms and inflammatory markers in selected patients with Crohn\u2019s disease,\u201d said Sidhartha Sinha<\/a>, MD, a gastroenterologist and professor of medicine at Stanford University.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe work adds to growing evidence that metabolic and dietary timing interventions can meaningfully influence disease biology,\u201d said Sinha, who participated in a recent study<\/a> that concluded that fast-mimicking diets can help people with mild to moderate Crohn\u2019s disease manage their condition.<\/p>\n

Babak Firoozi<\/a>, MD, a gastroenterologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, said that the new research is a promising step for the Crohn\u2019s disease community.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny non-pharmacologic approach that helps both with Crohn\u2019s disease and overall health is significant,\u201d Firoozi told Healthline.<\/p>\n

Rudolph Bedford<\/a>, MD, a gastroenterologist at Providence Saint John\u2019s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, said the key to the success of intermittent fasting with Crohn\u2019s disease is the reduction of inflammation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith intermittent fasting, you are not feeding the inflammatory process itself,\u201d Bedford told Healthline.<\/p>\n

He added that this reduction of inflammation can also encourage people to adopt lifestyle strategies, such as exercise, that reduce Crohn\u2019s disease symptoms.<\/p>\n

\u201cSymptomatically, you feel better. Your quality of life is better and your energy level is better,\u201d Bedford said.<\/p>\n

Sinha agreed that reducing inflammation is vital, but he says intermittent fasting can also spur other beneficial biological mechanisms.<\/p>\n

\u201cIntermittent fasting likely helps through several converging mechanisms rather than a single pathway,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cChanges in meal timing can improve metabolic signaling, reduce visceral adiposity<\/a>, and shift immune mediators that are linked to inflammation,\u201d Sinha told Healthline. \u201cThere may also be effects on circadian regulation and microbial activity that influence intestinal immune tone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Firoozi said the study participants\u2019 weight loss was also an important factor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe likely effect is from what was described as significant weight loss and loss of visceral fat,\u201d he said. \u201cVisceral fat promotes inflammation, so loss of fat can theoretically improve Crohn\u2019s disease through less overall inflammation.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s estimated that 1 million people<\/a> in the United States have Crohn\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

Researchers still aren\u2019t sure how the disease develops or how to cure it. The range of severity for Crohn\u2019s can be mild to debilitating.<\/p>\n

Some factors that can increase the risk of developing Crohn\u2019s disease include:<\/p>\n

carrying certain genesfamily historysmokingliving in an urban environment<\/p>\n

The symptoms can include:<\/p>\n

diarrheaabdominal crampsbloody stoolsfrequent need to pass a bowel moment.fever<\/p>\n

Treatments can range from medication to surgery to diet to probiotics. About 80%<\/a> of people with Crohn\u2019s disease will require surgery at some point in their lives.<\/p>\n

Experts and researchers emphasized that people with Crohn\u2019s disease should talk with their healthcare team to determine whether intermittent fasting is appropriate for them.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need to make sure all of this is done under the supervision of a physician,\u201d said Bedford.<\/p>\n

Bedford said one key reason for the caution is that intermittent fasting is not necessarily a beneficial tool for all people with Crohn\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

He noted that a significant number of people with Crohn\u2019s lose weight, so a restrictive eating plan wouldn\u2019t be the best strategy.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot all Crohn\u2019s patients are overweight,\u201d Bedford said. \u201cIf you\u2019re not getting enough calories and nutrition, you could end up using more energy than you\u2019re taking in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSome patients are already malnourished<\/a>, so you don\u2019t want them to lose any more calories,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany patients with Crohn\u2019s struggle with weight loss, micronutrient deficiency, or active disease where fasting could be counterproductive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Bedford added that any diet for Crohn\u2019s disease should contain a sufficient amount of protein. He said a Mediterranean is probably the best choice.<\/p>\n

Sinha said diet should be tailored to a person\u2019s individual needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cDietary strategies should be individualized based on nutritional status, symptoms, and disease phenotype,\u201d he said. \u201cThe broader goal is precision nutrition that aligns with each patient\u2019s biology rather than one universal approach.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bedford added that exercise<\/a> is important because it can build muscle and reduce inflammation.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst and foremost is to adhere to a healthy diet<\/a> and to stay compliant with their medication,\u201d added Firoozi. \u201cIf they are overweight or have other diseases related to obesity, they should work hard to address that. Intermittent fasting should be in the discussion.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Share on PinterestA new study suggests that time-restricted eating, a form of intermittent fasting, may help manage Crohn\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":291024,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[103,61,60,446],"class_list":{"0":"post-291023","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-ie","10":"tag-ireland","11":"tag-nutrition"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/291023","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=291023"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/291023\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/291024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=291023"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=291023"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=291023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}