Hypocaloric diets and insulin resistance, possible benefits or complications

Abstract

This article examines the effect of hypocaloric diets on insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. Hypocaloric diets are an effective tool to achieve weight loss and improve metabolic health, evidencing positive effects such as increased peripheral insulin sensitivity, decreased liver fat accumulation and lipid profile adequacy. However, if not applied correctly, disadvantages may arise such as decreased muscle mass, alterations at the level of basal metabolism and possible nutritional deficiencies. An analysis of the influence of intermittent fasting and caloric restriction on the regulation of body weight, blood glucose levels and inflammatory markers associated with the cellular aging process is also addressed. Although hypocaloric diets show favorable results in the short term, maintaining adherence to them in the long term remains a challenge, indicating the importance of developing personalized approaches that facilitate their sustainability over time, it has been observed that intermittent diets tend to have greater long-term adherence compared to traditional continuous diets, although both are effective in reducing body weight, having greater effectiveness when enhanced with psychological support and the incorporation of physical exercise.