How Many Times a Day Should You Eat?

The most effective and popular scheme is 16/8. You can eat for 8 hours, and the remaining 16 hours should be spent fasting.

Fractional eating is a 20th-century invention. Research suggests that the less often we eat, the lower the numbers on the scale. In recent years, the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction.

In 2016, Japanese scientist Yoshinori Ohsumi proved that when a cell is deprived of food for some time, it sacrifices old and dysfunctional organelles. In return, new ones are synthesized, and thus the cell rejuvenates.

This gave birth to fasting or intermittent fasting — a dietary system where food can only be consumed during a specific time window. For example, from 09:00 to 17:00.

During this period, you need to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At other times, you can only drink water, unsweetened tea, or natural fruit juices. In other words, this diet involves temporary fasting.

There are many schemes, which differ in the number of hours of fasting.

The most effective and popular scheme is 16/8. You can eat for 8 hours, and the remaining 16 hours should be spent fasting. For example, if you have breakfast at 08:00, the last meal should be no later than 16:00.

Another common but gentler scheme is 14/10. This means you can only eat for 10 hours. For example, from 08:00 to 18:00.

Some follow quite strict schemes. For example, 24/0. In this case, you eat every other day. There is also the 2/5 scheme, where you are allowed to eat only twice a week.

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting:

Improves metabolism, promotes fat burning, and helps with weight loss.

Reduces insulin levels, helping regulate blood sugar.

Increases cell sensitivity to insulin, reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Stimulates autophagy — the process of cell renewal, contributing to longevity.

Improves brain function, reduces the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Reduces inflammation in the body, positively affecting skin condition and general well-being.

Supports heart health, normalizes cholesterol levels and blood pressure.