Fasting after noon or after five o'clock? Adjusting meal times may have something to do with anti-aging

Review expert: Wang Xuejiang, professor at Capital Medical University

I believe everyone who is trying to lose weight has heard of this saying: “If you don’t eat after noon, you will not get sick.”

However, a recent study has given a new interpretation, believing that it is more appropriate to understand "not eating after noon" as "not eating after 5 pm."

So, is it "no eating after noon" or "no eating after 5 pm"? Can adjusting meal times really make the body healthier?

Is it reasonable not to eat after noon?

"Not eating after noon" means stopping eating in the afternoon. However, more people think that "not eating after noon" does not mean fasting after noon, but eating less after noon. If you do not eat after noon for a long time, it will cause a lot of harm to your body.

Causes stomach problems : If you are fasting for a long time, the digestive juices secreted by the stomach have no food to digest, and gastric acid and bile reflux will occur, affecting the normal digestive function and constantly corroding the gastrointestinal mucosa. Over time, it will cause gastritis, gastric ulcers, gastric cancer and other stomach diseases.

Decreased memory : After a day of energy consumption, the body's blood sugar concentration is already at a low level. If you do not eat, the blood sugar concentration will be even lower, resulting in the brain not getting enough energy supply, which in turn affects the normal function of the brain.

Easy to gain weight : When the body's energy is not replenished, in order to reduce energy consumption and maintain physical strength, the body will lower the metabolic rate according to the situation, consume more muscle, and retain more fat. If this continues for a long time, it will form a physique that is prone to gain weight, causing more serious obesity problems.

“No food after five o’clock” is more reasonable

On November 18, 2024, a research team from Peking Union Medical College, Xiangya Second Hospital of Central South University and Hengyang Medical College of South China University released a research result. The study found that if you stop eating after 5 pm every day, it will not only help control your weight and keep your immune system younger, but it can also help improve metabolic efficiency and maintain the balance of intestinal flora. It also has anti-aging and anti-inflammatory effects.

Research screenshots

Adjusting your meal times is healthier

In the study, 49 people in the time-restricted eating group implemented the "16+8 intermittent fasting" diet. For 30 consecutive days, the time-restricted eating group ate from 9 am to 5 pm every day and fasted at other times. The food was balanced and had appropriate calories. The diet structure of the control group was similar to that of the intermittent fasting group, but there was no intervention in the eating time.

Through long-term experiments and scientific testing, we finally found that:

Steady weight loss : 96% of participants in the time-restricted eating group lost weight, with most losing 2-4% and continuing the steady weight loss during the time-restricted eating period.

Improved immune system : Analysis of the immune system found that participants in the time-restricted diet group had improved immune cell indicators, indicating that intermittent fasting improves immune system function.

Anti-inflammatory and anti-aging : The intermittent fasting in the time-restricted eating group had anti-inflammatory and anti-aging effects. The levels of anti-inflammatory and anti-aging serum metabolites in the serum of participants in the intermittent fasting group were significantly increased.

Balance of intestinal flora : Analysis of intestinal flora found that intermittent fasting increased the diversity of intestinal flora and increased the abundance of several anti-inflammatory probiotics. More importantly, the composition of the intestinal flora of participants in the time-restricted diet group was more like that of young people, indicating that the intestinal flora of participants in the time-restricted diet group tended to be younger.

How to eat "16+8 light fasting" to be healthier

Balanced food and appropriate calories: "16+8 intermittent fasting" does not mean not eating for 16 hours and eating freely for 8 hours. This is not healthy. On the contrary, it will be counterproductive and damage your health. Scientific, reasonable and healthy diet is the key.

Refuse to overeat: "16+8 light fasting" is to reduce the time of eating, thereby reducing excess calorie intake. If you only control the time of eating without limiting calorie intake, it is difficult to achieve the desired effect.

Healthy work and rest, don’t stay up late : Staying up late and sleeping late are not only not good for the body’s metabolic health, but also disrupt the body’s biological clock and cause metabolic disorders. This is why many people who often stay up late are prone to illness and obesity.

Intermittent fasting is not suitable for everyone : children and adolescents in the growth and development stage, pregnant women, elderly people with chronic diseases, etc. need to choose a suitable diet pattern according to their specific circumstances.