Intermittent fasting boosts health by strengthening daily rhythms.

KARACHI -- Various versions of the intermittent fasting diet appear to have weight loss benefits. A new study investigating why they work concludes that circadian rhythms are key. Intermittent fasting has become popular, but how does it work? While the modern world appears awash with fad diets, people seem to be giving a fair bit of attention to intermittent fasting. As its name implies, intermittent fasting involves eating nothing for extended periods of time. Some studies have found that this type of diet is beneficial, but exactly why it benefits health is not yet clear. Recently, a group of scientists at the University of California, Irvine investigated the impact of fasting on our circadian clock.

Daily sleep-wake cycles, or circadian rhythms, drive the ebb and flow of human life; they control much more than just our sleepiness levels. Our 24-hour cycles involve metabolic, physiological, and behavioral changes that impact every tissue of the body. Perhaps the most wellknown way to influence the clock is via exposure to bright lights, but thisisn't the only way; food intake also impacts the clock. We are slowly beginning to understand how eating plays a role in modulating circadian rhythms, but we know even less about how a lack of food might affect rhythms. Fasting and circadian rhythms The authors of the new study were particularly interested in learning about how fasting influenced circadian rhythms in the liver and skeletal muscles. The researchers published their findings in the journal Cell Reports. Fasting is a natural phenomenon for most animals, because food is not always readily available. In times of hardship, certain metabolic changes occur to allow the body to adapt. 16:8 fasting diet actually...

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