The effect of intermittent fasting diets on body weight and composition.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: This study was carried out to determine and compare the effects on anthropometric measurements of the Mediterranean Diet (MD) with daily energy restriction and four different intermittent fasting diets (IFD), which were created as an alternative to MD and gained popularity. METHODS: 360 people aged 18-65 years, with body mass index (BMI) between 27 and 35 kg/m2 participated to the study. Demographic information, anthropometric measurements, physical activity and food consumption records were obtained by the researcher through weekly face-to-face interviews. The study lasted for 13 weeks, the first of which was a trial. Statistical significance level was accepted as 0.05. Participants were randomly assigned to 5 equal groups: Mediterranean Diet (MD), Week on Week off (WOWO), 6-Hour Time-Restricted Eating (TRE-6), 8-Hour Time-Restricted Eating (TRE-8), Alternative Day Diet (ADD). Of the 360 people who participated in the study, 32 (2 TRE-6, 7 WOWO, 1 MD, 16 ADD, 6 TRE-8) dropped out after the trial week. RESULTS: It was determined that throughout the study, body weights, BMI, arm circumferences and waist circumferences in all groups decreased significantly. However, trends in changes in body weights and BMIs did not differ between groups. While the energy, carbohydrate, protein and fat intakes of the participants did not change significantly during the study, fiber consumption increased considerably in the MD and WOWO groups. CONCLUSIONS: It was observed that IFD were not superior to MD in terms of anthropometric measurements. The health effects and long-term consequences are not clear for IFD, unlike MD. For these reasons, it is thought that the most effective nutritional therapy that can be preferred for healthy weight loss is the energy-restricted MD model.

The Effect of Teff Seed on Hematological Findings and Anthropometric Measurements.

Background: The low incidence of diseases such as celiac, anemia, osteoporosis, and obesity in Ethiopia has aroused interest in the study of teff. The primary objective of this study was to determine the effect of regular consumption of teff seeds on hematological findings and anthropometric measurements in overweight and obese individuals. The secondary objective was to compare these effects of teff seeds with the Mediterranean diet. Methods: In our study, planned as a cohort study, 28 participants followed the teff seed-containing diet (n=14) and the Mediterranean diet (n=14) for 3 months. To determine nutritional status, a 72-h recall was taken. Anthropometric measurements and hematological findings were recorded at the beginning and end of the study. Results: There was a significant decrease in fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, LDL, and HDL levels in the teff group (p<0.05). The increase in total protein levels in the teff group was significantly higher than in the Mediterranean diet group (p=0.05). With increased intake of carbohydrates (g) in the teff group, fasting blood glucose levels decreased significantly. There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding anthropometric measurements. Conclusion: It has been found that the teff seed has no predominance over anthropometric measurements, as compared to the Mediterranean diet, and that it is more effective in improving hematological findings related to obesity. There is a need for more comprehensive studies that also address physical activity, the different types of teff seeds available, and include increased participant numbers.

Probiotic Foods Are Effective on Weight Loss, Biochemical Parameters, and Intestinal Microbiota in Wistar Albino Rats with Obese Microbiota.

The positive effects of various probiotic foods on weight control, intestinal microbiota, and biochemical markers have been proven by various studies. However, there is no study on such effects of tarhana and kefir + tarhana consumption, a type of Turkish food rich in Lactobacillus spp., Pediococcus pentosaceus, Pediococcus acidilactici, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This study aimed to determine the changes caused by regular consumption of kefir and/or tarhana for 6 months on weight gain, intestinal microbiota, and biochemical parameters in Wistar albino rats with obese microbiota. Therefore, thirty-five rats were fed with five different methods of oral gavage (n = 7 per group): Normal Diet Control (NDC), High Fat Diet Control (HFDC), 6 mL/kg Kefir + High Fat Diet (Kefir + HFD), 0.2 g/kg Tarhana + High Fat Diet (Tarhana + HFD), and 6 mL/kg Kefir + 0.2 g/kg Tarhana + High Fat Diet (Kefir + Tarhana + HFD). Normality tests were evaluated using the One-Sample Kolmogorov test and Histogram graph. Multiple group comparisons were performed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's HSD post hoc test, and the statistical significances were indicated by different letters (p < 0.05). Comparisons by gender were performed using the independent samples t-test. Kefir consumption was more effective on decreasing weight gain. Obese microbiota significantly increased blood glucose level and decreased red blood cell (RBC), hematocrit (HCT), hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), platelets (PLT), and white blood cells. RBC and HCT values in Kefir + HFD, PLT value in Tarhana + HFD, and mean corpuscular volume (MCV), MCH, and MCHC values in Kefir + Tarhana + HFD were higher than those of other groups (p < 0.05). Kefir + tarhana consumption significantly showed an increase in blood glucose. Kefir and/or tarhana induced the abundance of Lactobacillus and blocked the abundances of total coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli (p < 0.05). We demonstrated that kefir was effective in decreasing weight gain, and all dietary interventions induced positive alterations on biochemical findings and intestinal microbiota.