Intermittent Fasting Benefits Clarified by Nutrition Experts

Nutrition specialists explain that intermittent fasting—abstaining from food for 12 to 14 hours a day—is not intended as a weight‑loss regimen but as a tool to give the digestive system a regular rest. Stacie Stephenson, a board member of the American Nutrition Association, says it “helps the digestive system rest” and can “reduce overall body inflammation, leading to better health and potentially increased longevity.”

The practice also supports stable hormone levels, balanced insulin, and consistent blood‑glucose control, according to Stephenson and Ashley Koff, nutrition course director at UC Irvine’s Integrative Health Institute. Both stress that weight loss still depends on the classic calories‑in versus calories‑out equation, and that the timing of meals alone has little impact on that balance.