Pennington Biomedical Research Center Research Study Measurements CREDIT Pennington Biomedical

January is when many people are looking for new diet routines, and intermittent fasting is trending, as are traditional calorie-cutting programs.

Research conducted with animal models suggests that intermittent fasting slows ageing, and those animals live longer. Researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center and the University of Alabama at Birmingham are conducting the DiAL-Health study to see if eating for 8 hours and fasting for 16 each day shows similar results in people. These researchers are looking for healthy adults aged 25-49 to participate.

“Time-restricted eating has many of the same benefits of a traditional weight-loss diet and may be easier to follow,” said Dr. Corby Martin, Professor and Director of the Ingestive Behavior, Weight Management and Health Promotion Laboratory at Pennington Biomedical. “In the DiAL-Health study, we’re obtaining much needed information on time-restricted eating, or intermittent fasting, so we can truly see if it can slow aging and improve ‘healthspan.’ Healthspan is the length of your life that you are free of diseases like diabetes or high blood pressure.”

“Traditional diets, or calorie counting, have been around for hundreds of years, but intermittent fasting has become more popular as an option in recent years as it is likely easier to follow,” Dr. Redman said. “In addition to affecting health and possibly longevity, both methods promote weight loss and overall metabolic health, which can help address the nation’s obesity epidemic.”