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Timing matters? Assessing the relationship between a regular eating pattern compared to intermittent fasting (early
Alfio Giuffrida1, Lottie Burnett-Armstrong1, Emily West1
1Faculty of Sport, Technology and Health Sciences, St Mary's University, Twickenham, UK.
Background:
Depressive and anxiety disorders are prevalent, impactful conditions that are rising globally. Antidepressants showed limited efficacy and side effects, highlighting the need for alternatives. Intermittent fasting (IF) has emerged as a potential nutritional strategy to improve mood-related symptoms (MRSs).
Aim:
To evaluate differences in anxiety and depression between adults practising IF and those following a regular eating pattern (REP), exploring variations within IF groups, comparing early IF (EIF; morning/afternoon feeding), late IF (LIF; afternoon/evening feeding) and REP groups, and between sexes.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study (May 2024-May 2025) employed an anonymous 41-question online survey distributed globally, including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire to assess anxiety and depression. Data from 302 healthy participants aged 18-65 (88 male, 214 female) were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics. A two-way ANOVA examined the effects of sex and eating patterns on anxiety and depression.
Results:
Participants included 214/302 (70.9%) in the REP and 88/302 (29.1%) in the IF group, with 22/302 (7.2%) in the EIF and 66/302 (21.9%) in the LIF group. Females reported significantly higher mean anxiety than males (p = 0.047). The IF group reported significantly lower anxiety (p = 0.031) and depression (p = 0.022) than the REP group.
Conclusion:
Our findings suggest an association between IF and reduced anxiety and depression. Further research is needed to elucidate the IF-MRSs relationship, explore sex-specific approaches and optimal dietary strategies to improve MRSs.
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