Fasting health benefitsAlthough intermittent fasting is becoming more of a phenomenon post the turn of the century, it is still not as widespread as other fasting diets. Most people have more than likely heard about fasting diets, with the popularity of juice fasts spreading rapidly across the internet. Juice dieting was also made popular by a number of celebrities and Hollywood stars. However, as many proponents of the intermittent fasting diet will tell you, the comparison between a water only fast to a juice fast is not a fair comparison. Juice fasts do provide benefits, but water fasts as provided for in the intermittent fasting diet provide major benefits including reduced risks of heart disease and lowering of the risk of diabetes. However, before undertaking any type of fast, it is best to consult your health practitioner or doctor. Fasting is not recommended for everyone; in fact it could actually be detrimental to a certain part of the population. Individuals with certain health conditions should definitely not undertake any form of dieting within consultation beforehand. Pregnant mothers and nursing mothers, as well as young children should also not undertake intermittent fasting. One of the disadvantages of intermittent fasting is that it may lead to binge type eating on the non-fast days. However, if individuals are disciplined, this risk should be minimised.