Ramadan fasting could be thought of as a version of intermittent fasting. In Ramadan fasting, no food is consumed during the daylight hours followed by a normal dinner. A meal is also supposed to be eaten before dawn, but I've read that many people end up skipping this meal in practice during Ramadan.
This new study shows the impact of Ramadan fasting on hormones and body composition. It shows that over a four-week period there was a significant decrease in weight and body fat. It also shows that the main hormonal axis (GH/IGF-1) was not disturbed.
I wish I had access to the full-text of this study to look at a few things. First, how large was the decrease in weight in absolute numbers? Second, though we know there was a decrease in body fat, the abstract does not mention any impacts on lean mass. It's possible that lean mass could have decreased as well.
Regardless, this study at least shows the potential of intermittent fasting as a way to lower body fat without disturbing the hormonal system.
