On Wed, 27 Jul 2005 9:32 pm, Ken Stuart wrote:
> Remember that there's now 3 different studies that indicate that the
> benefits of
> caloric restriction are due to lowering insulin levels.

Yes but that leaves open what the best means of lowering insulin might
be.  As candidates, we have (1) caloric restriction; (2) carbohydrate
restriction; (3) intermittent fasting.  Which results in the lowest
fasting insulin levels?  And--what may be more important--which results
in the lowest total insulin exposure?

For example, the Zone diet incorporates approaches (1) and (2).  Let's
suppose that the Zone gives excellent fasting insulin results.  Still,
since the Zone diet involves (typically) three meals and two snacks, one
might not be in that "fasting insulin" state for as long, in a 24 hour
period, as one might be with approach (3).  And it remains to be seen
whether DIF (daily intermittent fasting) will provide insulin results as
good as EODF (every other day fasting).  EODF has been studied more, at
least in animals.

Suppose you follow a DIF plan without significant caloric reduction.
You confine your eating to two hours.  Suppose after eating all this
chow it takes four hours for your insulin response to stop.  Result: you
have 18 hours out of 24 at fasting insulin level.

Now suppose you do an EODF without caloric restriction.  You eat three
ample meals and some snacks.  If your insulin remains elevated for, say,
12 hours on your eating days, you'd still have 36 hours at fasting
insulin level out of each 48 hours, same as DIF.

I'm just making these numbers up, for the sake of argument.  Without
real data, it's hard to know what works best.

Todd Moody
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