Influencers and biohackers swear by fasting. Here's what the science says. - Morningstar

Fasting can help some people reduce how many calories they eat - but it's not 'effortless' as some influencers would have you believe Intermittent fasting can help people lose weight - but the research behind purported benefits, like improvements in cognitive health, is sparse.

Photo illustration by Pew Research Center. (Photos via Getty Images) This study looks at the content posted by health and wellness influencers – individuals with large audiences online who provide information about health and wellness, largely on social media. It builds on our previous study of who these influencers are and how U. S. adults engage with their content. It includes an analysis of the topics these influencers discuss, how often their posts include promotions, and how they present their expertise and experiences in social media posts.

This study looks at the content posted by health and wellness influencers – individuals with large audiences online who provide information about health and wellness, largely on social media. It builds on our previous study of who these influencers are and how U. S. adults engage with their content. It includes an analysis of the topics these influencers discuss, how often their posts include promotions, and how they present their expertise and experiences in social media posts. Medical professionals remain the most common source of health information among U. S. adults. But many get information about their health from sources outside of the doctor’s office, including social media. We conducted this study to better understand what the public might encounter when they get health and wellness information on social media, including how health and wellness influencers discuss a variety of topics there.