A List of OMAD Benefits
This page lists a wide range of OMAD benefits, with all statements linking to scientific research where possible. Please read on to learn why intermittent fasting is becoming so popular with those wanting to lose weight and improve their health.
Important Notice: This website discusses the many proven benefits of intermittent fasting, but there are potential dangers if you are taking medication. The information on this website is not medical advice. Please discuss any lifestyle changes with your doctor. Those that are under 18, underweight, have an eating disorder, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, should not follow a fasting protocol unless instructed by a medical professional.
Improved Cell Function, Genes and Hormones
- Reduced insulin levels in blood, facilitating fat burning [1]
- Improved cellular repair, called autophagy, where waste material is removed from cells [2]
- Increased growth hormone levels in blood, facilitating fat burning and muscle growth [3]
- Improved gene expression, with benefits to disease protection and ageing [4]
Increased Weight Loss
OMAD lowers insulin levels and raises growth hormone levels. In addition, increased amounts of norepinephrine (noradrenaline) are released in to the body.[5] This all contributes to an increased rate of fat burned by the body, used for energy. Intermittent fasting actually increases the body’s metabolic rate. [6]
We strongly recommend watching Dr Jason Fung’s presentation on Fasting as a Therapeutic Option for Weight Loss to better understand the relationship that insulin has with body fat.
Alongside the benefits of reduced insulin in the body, fewer calories are typically consumed during the day when following an OMAD diet. Although many make their one meal a day quite large, to keep them fuelled for the next 24 hours, this is still typically smaller in calorific value than if they had eaten three separate meals throughout the day.
In short, the combination of an increased metabolic rate and a lower consumption of calories makes OMAD an extremely effective tool for weight loss.
Reduced Insulin Resistance
Type 2 diabetes is an increasingly common condition that causes the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood to become too high. If an individual with type 2 diabetes reduces their insulin resistance, blood sugar levels should lower as a result, protecting against and potentially reversing the effects of type 2 diabetes.
Dr Jason Fung, a Canadian nephrologist and world-leading expert on intermittent fasting and low carbohydrate diets often prescribes a fasting regimen to his patients to treat type 2 diabetes. In 2017 he undertook a 4 month case study to formally publish his findings around fasting’s ability to treat and potentially reverse type 2 diabetes:
The patient’s initial fasting regimen consisted of a 24-h fast, three times a week. Over the course of treatment, the patient gradually extended his fasting period, eventually fasting for 42 h, two to three times a week. By the end of treatment, the patient’s weight was reduced by 17.8% and his waist circumference was reduced by 11.0%… he was able to completely discontinue his insulin treatment, despite over a decade of insulin usage. The patient did not find it difficult to adhere to the fasting schedule.. [7]
Intermittent fasting and the OMAD diet have been shown to have major benefits for insulin resistance, but please note, the effects of IF on type 2 diabetes are still being studied, and there may be some differences between genders. As always, if you have type 2 diabetes, please ensure you speak with your doctor before making major lifestyle or dietary changes.
Lifestyle Benefits
Many people that follow the OMAD diet do not count calories or macronutrients. Since it is more difficult to overeat when only eating once per day, some individuals find they can be more relaxed in their eating style. This is quite different to many diets that require strict tracking of macronutrients, or the restriction/elimination of certain food groups.
It is important to note that whilst OMAD gives you more flexibility on the food you eat, it is not an excuse to consistently binge on unhealthy foods, which could slow the health benefits associated with intermittent fasting. Although not essential, some choose to combine an OMAD eating style with other effective diets, with the ketogenic diet (keto) being the most popular.
Because only one meal is consumed per day, significantly less time is spent on cooking and dishwashing, and typically less money is spent on meals out, convenience foods, beverages and groceries.
Reduced Inflammation
Oxidative stress is when unstable molecules damage other important molecules in the body. These are called free radicals. Studies have shown that IF diets increase the body’s resistance to oxidative stress, helping to protect the body against ageing and disease.
IF and OMAD have been shown to help reduce inflammation associated with autoimmune disorders. A study published in 2019 showed that:
Intermittent fasting has beneficial effects on PsA disease [psoriatic arthritis]… even after adjusting for weight change, the benefit of fasting on PsA disease activity scores remained statistically significant… in our study, fasting led to improvement in PsA disease activity scores, enthesitis, and dactylitis regardless of the change in the patients’ weight, which may support that the fasting process itself can affect the immune system activity.[8]
A study in 2019 by researchers at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine showed that:
Short-term fasting reduced monocyte metabolic and inflammatory activity and drastically reduced the number of circulating monocytes… Fasting improves chronic inflammatory diseases without compromising monocyte emergency mobilization.
Monocytes are highly inflammatory white blood cells that can cause tissue damage. Due to changing eating habits in recent centuries, the general population has seen an increasing amount of monocytes in their blood circulation.[9] Intermittent fasting combats this.
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