I'm not hostile to the concept, of intermittent fasting (IF), quite the opposite, but I don't think there is much useful information (as the public) we can get from this paper. Granted, I've only skimmed, but there are problems. The paper isn't peer-reviewed and the author indicates he doesn't feel inclined to attempt to get the paper reviewed/published. Red flag.
But that doesn't matter anyway because he reaches only weak conclusions, indicating the data in humans is murky. The author clearly believes IF is beneficial anyway and writes as if he is an advocate for it in the intro at the top of the web page, before the paper appears. Even more damning, portions of the paper itself read like they were written by an advocate. He just couldn't help himself. His job there is to attempt to be neutral and discover and summarize what the data shows (with conclusions) for his systematic review.
However, this paper can serves as a handy compilation of references on the subject which could help other researchers. Given the author's advocacy of the subject, if used as such care should be taken to ensure the references are thorough and nothing is omitted.
I also got that vibe in a paragraph preceding the paper that has a Clickbank affiliate link to a book on the subject of intermittent fasting. The author goes on to state "...it has helped many people get leaner and healthier with a relaxed mindset."
That kind of hinted to me where the bias of the paper would be. However, such bias could've resulted from the information he found during his studies.
But that doesn't matter anyway because he reaches only weak conclusions, indicating the data in humans is murky. The author clearly believes IF is beneficial anyway and writes as if he is an advocate for it in the intro at the top of the web page, before the paper appears. Even more damning, portions of the paper itself read like they were written by an advocate. He just couldn't help himself. His job there is to attempt to be neutral and discover and summarize what the data shows (with conclusions) for his systematic review.
However, this paper can serves as a handy compilation of references on the subject which could help other researchers. Given the author's advocacy of the subject, if used as such care should be taken to ensure the references are thorough and nothing is omitted.