The FastDay Forum

This is a link to the results of a six month human trial comparing 5:2 to a standard reduced calorie diet. The trial results are that 5:2 is as effective as a standard diet in regards to weight loss, insulin sensitivity and other health biomarkers and that 5:2 may be offered as an alternative equivalent to a standard diet for weight loss and reducing disease risk.

Those of us that have been around here for awhile know this, but the study should help those that have opinions but no facts understand 5:2 is not a dangerous fad diet. And that those following 5:2 are not crazy, but are actually enlightened.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3017674/

Thanks to TBrewerton for the link.

[carorees]

Actually, this is not 5:2, it's the Two Day diet. Differences are: two consecutive days, fat days are low carb not really calorie restricted, 5 days are following a Mediterranean diet not your choice of food. The two days of fasting included a high milk intake, which probably explains the lack of a substantial drop in IGF1 (lower protein, and especially milk which promotes IGF1, is necessary to lower IGF1 levels) We've discussed this study last year, here: post135139.html
Since the publication of the paper, the diet had been altered so that the diet printed in Harvie's book is slightly different.

However, it validates the concept in a general way.

Thanks carorees. I was wondering about the date of the study.

It is interesting that there is quite a bit of chat now on this site about low carb eating.

I still think this study supports the position that restricting caloric intake two days a week is safe and effective.

[carorees]

Yes indeed!

There are also these threads on the Two Day diet you might want to look at:
the-5-2-lab-f10/topic4928.html
the-5-2-lab-f10/topic4550.html
the-5-2-lab-f10/topic3208.html
the-5-2-lab-f10/topic1723.html