Prolonged Water-Only Fasting Followed by a Whole-Plant-Food Diet Promotes Fat-Free Mass Recovery and Continued Fat Mass Loss in Adults With Overweight or Obesity.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Conventional weight-loss strategies often result in inadequate fat loss, poor sustainability, and unintended lean mass loss. Prolonged water-only fasting followed by dietary change may offer an effective alternative, but its impact on body composition remains underexplored.

Methods

This secondary analysis utilized dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to assess changes in fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass (FM), and bone mineral content (BMC) in adults [median (IQR) age: 62 (15) years with overweight or obesity. Participants underwent a median (IQR) of 14 (6) days of water-only fasting, followed by 6 (3) days of food reintroduction with a whole-plant-food diet and a subsequent maintenance period of 45 (5) days. Study visits occurred at baseline and at the end of eac

SUBMITTER: Gabriel S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12322586 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature