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The following is a summary of “Effect of the 5:2 Diet on Weight Loss and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Overweight and/or Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” published in the February 2025 issue of International Journal of Endocrinology by Wu et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine the effects of the 5:2 diet on weight loss and cardiovascular disease risk factors in individuals with overweight and obesity.
They performed a database search (PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase) to identify randomized controlled trials assessing the effects of the 5:2 diet in individuals with overweight and obesity. The search included studies published from database inception until April 2024. Meta-analysis was conducted by Review Manager (RevMan) 5.3 and Stata 14.0.
The results showed that 20 articles with 1,393 participants were included, with 689 in the treatment groups and 704 in the control groups. The meta-analysis found that the 5:2 diet declined body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, body fat percentage, hip circumference, fat mass, fat-free mass, low-density lipoprotein, systolic blood pressure, and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance levels compared to the control group (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in visceral fat, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, diastolic blood pressure, insulin, fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin A1c, or heart rate. While no serious adverse events occurred, mild physical and psychological side effects were reported during fasting but resolved spontaneously.
Investigators concluded that the 5:2 diet successfully decreased weight and enhanced cardiovascular risk factors in individuals with overweight/obese while emphasizing the importance of monitoring and adjusting for individual patient needs during fasting periods.
Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1155/ije/6658512
