Interval fasting: scientists have named the negative consequences for the body

It slows down growth.

A fad diet plan touted as helping you lose weight, lower your blood sugar and reduce inflammation can have a very nasty side effect – your luscious locks can lose their volume.

A new study found that mice that were subjected to intermittent fasting – which involves restricting food intake to a certain daily window – had better metabolism but slower hair growth than mice with 24-hour access to food, reports the New York Post.

And when they did the same thing on humans, they found similar results.

“We don't want to discourage people from practicing intermittent fasting, as it is associated with many beneficial effects – it's just important to be aware that it may have some unintended consequences,” says senior study author and stem cell biologist Bing Zhang…