Intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating pattern that restricts food intake to specific times or days of the week. Its primary goals include reducing calorie intake, promoting weight loss, improving body composition, and enhancing metabolic health. (1)(2) Do the dietary shifts in intermittent fasting impact inflammation more effectively than traditional calorie restriction?
Inflammation in the body can stem from various factors, including injuries, infections, irritants, certain foods, and lifestyle habits. Dr. Layne Norton delved into a March 2025 study to examine the relationship between IF and inflammation.
Study Results
A secondary analysis examined the effects of time-restricted feeding (i.e., intermittent fasting) and calorie restriction on key inflammatory cytokines over a year. (3) The study included three groups:
- 30 participants in the control group
- 30 participants in the calorie restriction group
- 30 participants in the intermittent fasting group
Both experimental groups were designed to achieve the same calorie deficit. Researchers analyzed various cardiometabolic markers, including insulin sensitivity, HOMA-IR (a measure of insulin resistance), HbA1c, and inflammatory markers such as IL-6, TNF-alpha, and CRP, and other health indicators like blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose, and blood lipids.
This specific analysis focused on inflammatory markers related to inflammation and revealed the following:
- The calorie restriction and IF groups achieved similar weight and fat loss, with minimal differences in the other measurements.
- The two experimental groups had no significant difference in inflammatory markers.
Overall, the data showed comparable outcomes for weight loss and inflammation between calorie restriction and intermittent fasting.
Implications for Intermittent Fasting vs. Inflammation
The similarities in inflammatory markers observed between the calorie restriction and IF groups are linked to their respective body fat levels.
If you decrease your body fat, you decrease your inflammatory markers.
—Dr. Layne Norton
Excess adipose tissue is pro-inflammatory, functioning as an endocrine organ that releases inflammatory markers called adipokines. By reducing fat mass, individuals can lower their inflammation levels — a benefit Dr.Norton consistently observed in himself over several years.
A common misconception about intermittent fasting and inflammation: it’s not about how one feels. Measuring inflammation isn’t as simple as noticing discomfort, such as stomachaches after eating.
It involves analyzing specific inflammatory markers in the bloodstream, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and C-reactive protein (CRP). “CRP tends to be the one that gets measured a lot,” Norton said.
Reducing fat mass generally leads to a decrease in these markers; conversely, a decrease in these markers also leads to a reduction in fat mass. Since both groups lost a similar amount of fat mass in this study, no significant differences in these markers were observed.
Using this evidence, Dr. Norton challenged the claims made by IF proponents, who argue that restricting eating to a specific time window produces unique benefits, regardless of equivalent weight loss or calorie intake. Multiple randomized controlled trials in humans have consistently disproven this notion.
The Positive Effects of Consistency
If someone enjoys intermittent fasting and finds it manageable, it can be as effective as calorie restriction in improving health markers. For example, Dr. Norton mentionsedthat he doesn’t prefer IF. “I don’t like not eating breakfast. I feel hungry at breakfast. I want to eat when I wake up,” he remarked.
For some, skipping breakfast is not a concern. The key lies in choosing an approach that promotes consistency. Following a dietary plan that reliably ensures the correct calorie intake to match energy needs and achieve specific goals is the most effective strategy for achieving goals.
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References
- Patterson, R. E., Laughlin, G. A., LaCroix, A. Z., Hartman, S. J., Natarajan, L., Senger, C. M., Martínez, M. E., Villaseñor, A., Sears, D. D., Marinac, C. R., & Gallo, L. C. (2015). Intermittent Fasting and Human Metabolic Health. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 115(8), 1203–1212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2015.02.018
- Song, D. K., & Kim, Y. W. (2023). Beneficial effects of intermittent fasting: a narrative review. Journal of Yeungnam medical science, 40(1), 4–11. https://doi.org/10.12701/jyms.2022.00010
- Lin, S., Cienfuegos, S., Ezpeleta, M., Pavlou, V., Corapi, S., Runchey, M. C., Alexandria, S. J., Tussing-Humphreys, L., & Varady, K. A. (2025). Time-Restricted Eating Versus Daily Calorie Restriction: Effects on Inflammatory Markers over 12 Months in Adults with Obesity. Nutrients, 17(7), 1130. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17071130
Featured image via Shutterstock/Andrey_Popov
