All calories in One meal per day or Three?

[Guest guest]

Look at the mixed results from consuming all daily calories in one

meal or three? One meal per day increased BP and total, LDL-, and

HDL-cholesterol concentrations; but reduced cortisol and fat mass. (If

subjects reduced fat mass but maintained body weight does this mean

they increased lean mass?)

A controlled trial of reduced meal frequency without caloric

restriction in healthy, normal-weight, middle-aged adults1,2,3

Kim S Stote, J Baer, Spears, R , G ,

V Rumpler, Pilar Strycula, Samer S Najjar, Luigi Ferrucci,

K Ingram, Dan L Longo and Mark P Mattson

1 From the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, US Department

of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Beltsville, MD (KSS,

DJB, KS, DRP, GKW, and WVR), and the Clinical Research Branch (PS and

LF), and the Laboratories of Cardiovascular Science (SSN),

Experimental Gerontology (DKI), Immunology (DLL), and Neurosciences

(MPM), National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program,

Baltimore, MD

Background:Although consumption of 3 meals/d is the most common

pattern of eating in industrialized countries, a scientific rationale

for this meal frequency with respect to optimal health is lacking. A

diet with less meal frequency can improve the health and extend the

lifespan of laboratory animals, but its effect on humans has never

been tested.

Objective:A pilot study was conducted to establish the effects of a

reduced-meal-frequency diet on health indicators in healthy,

normal-weight adults.

Design:The study was a randomized crossover design with two 8-wk

treatment periods. During the treatment periods, subjects consumed all

of the calories needed for weight maintenance in either 3 meals/d or 1

meal/d.

Results:Subjects who completed the study maintained their body weight

within 2 kg of their initial weight throughout the 6-mo period. There

were no significant effects of meal frequency on heart rate, body

temperature, or most of the blood variables measured. However, when

consuming 1 meal/d, subjects had a significant increase in hunger; a

significant modification of body composition, including reductions in

fat mass; significant increases in blood pressure and in total, LDL-,

and HDL-cholesterol concentrations; and a significant decrease in

concentrations of cortisol.

Conclusions:Normal-weight subjects are able to comply with a 1 meal/d

diet. When meal frequency is decreased without a reduction in overall

calorie intake, modest changes occur in body composition, some

cardiovascular disease risk factors, and hematologic variables.

Diurnal variations may affect outcomes.

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/4/981?ct=ct