Intermittent fasting versus continuous energy restriction in MASLD: a systematic review and meta-analysis (opens in new tab)

BackgroundIntermittent fasting (IF) and continuous energy restriction (CER) are widely used dietary approaches for metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), yet their comparative efficacy remains uncertain.MethodsPubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central were searched from inception to August 1, 2025, for randomized controlled trials comparing intermittent fasting (IF) with continuous energy restriction (CER) in adults with NAFLD, MAFLD, or MASLD. Risk of bi...