The Buddha on Intermittent Fasting

 The Buddha said:

Bhikkhus, I abstain from eating at night. By so doing, I am free from illness and affliction, and I enjoy lightness, strength, and a comfortable abiding. Come, bhikkhus, abstain from eating at night. By so doing, you too will be free from illness and affliction, and you will enjoy lightness, strength, and a comfortable abiding (MN 70 Bodhi).

The Buddha practiced intermittent fasting 2,500 years ago. Way before we had science to demonstrate its health benefits. The very health benefits that the Buddha mentioned.

In fact, the Buddha made it a rule for ordained monastics to follow this simple rule, no food is to be eaten after the noon hour until sunrise the next day. That is about an 18-hour fast.

For those that work nights, you could switch this to no food from midnight until 6 pm. That is an 18-hour fast as well. I find that midnight until 4 pm works better for my schedule, which is still a 16-hour fast.

The benefits of fasting as "you too will be free from illness and affliction, and you will enjoy lightness, strength, and a comfortable abiding."