Short-term studies in the past have shown that a 168 diet, which restricts eating to eight hours a day, has a positive effect on blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.
However, most of the results are short-term results. What if the 168 diet plan is implemented in the long term?
168 diet: The effects of fasting on the cardiovascular system
Recently, a survey investigated the long-term health effects of following the 168 diet. They reviewed the dietary pattern database of participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) from 2003 to 2018, which included about 20,000 American adults with an average age of 49. The study participants were tracked for a median of 8 years and a maximum of 17 years and compared with data on deaths in the United States from 2003 to December 2019 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Death Index data.
Analysis found:
Compared with those who eat 12-16 hours a day, those who eat less than 8 hours a day have a 91% increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 26% increased risk of death from all causes.
Among people with cardiovascular disease, eating between 8 and 10 hours a day was also associated with a 66% increased risk of death from heart disease or stroke.
Time-restricted eating did not reduce the risk of death from any cause.
Case sharing:
Mr. A, 38 years old, first diagnosed in April 2024
Mr. A started the 168 fasting method in early 2024, eating from 12 to 9 o'clock every day, and successfully lost 7 kg. Now it is 99KG. However, after fasting, the quality of sleep is poor, dreaming a lot, waking up at 2AM every day, and the sleep was normal in the past. The tongue is pale and the pulse is normal. The blood pressure was not measured.
Treatment: Calming the mind, soothing the liver, and removing dampness. 7 days of Chinese medicine, and instructing to stop the 168 fasting diet.
analyze:
In view of the patient's obesity and high blood pressure during the follow-up visit in December of the same year, it was suspected that the patient's cardiovascular system had always been problematic. Based on the above research showing that eating within 8 hours puts a greater load on the cardiovascular system than eating within 12-16 hours, it can be inferred that the patient's cardiovascular system was already in an unhealthy state before the diet, and sleep abnormalities occurred a few months after the fasting began, which is a common symptom of cardiovascular problems.
Therefore, I suggest that people who try the 168 diet should first understand the health of their cardiovascular system.
As mentioned in previous articles, the symptoms of cardiovascular problems are easily ignored by doctors and patients because most of them are common discomforts, such as fatigue, dizziness, headaches, insomnia, etc., and both parties often do not care. Through the four diagnoses of traditional Chinese medicine, we can only recognize the state of the heart, qi and blood. If combined with modern diagnosis, such as electrocardiogram and blood pressure monitor, we can more clearly understand the state of the patient's cardiovascular system, such as heart rhythm problems, electrocardiogram problems, heart problems, blood pressure problems, and qi and blood circulation problems. In this way, the knowledge and examination of cardiology specialists are more reliable than the four diagnoses of traditional Chinese medicine alone.
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