A DIET favoured by celebrities including model Miranda Kerr could help reduce deaths from heart disease, new research suggests.

In the first study of its kind in the UK, intermittent fasting removed fat from the blood quicker than a traditional calorie restriction diet and there was a greater reduction in blood pressure.

On the 5:2 regime, which is a type of intermittent fasting, people eat normally for five days of the week and severely restrict their calories for the other two, 500 calories for women and 600 for men.

The part-time aspect appeals to many, because there is no restriction on what you eat for five days of the week.

A study by the University of Surrey found those on the 5:2 diet achieved 5 per cent weight-loss in 59 days compared to 73 for the other diet.

Researchers also found that participants who followed the 5:2 diet cleared fat more efficiently and there was a greater reduction in blood pressure, which reduces pressure on arteries, potentially lessening incidences of heart attacks and strokes.

Other celebrity fans of the 5:2 diet include presenter Philip Schofield and Hollyoaks actress Jennifer Metcalf.

Dr Rona Antoni, Research Fellow in Nutritional Metabolism at the University of Surrey, said: “As seen in this study, some of our participants struggled to tolerate the 5:2 diet, which suggests that this approach is not suited to everybody; ultimately the key to dieting success is finding an approach you can sustain long term.

“But for those who do well and are able stick to the 5:2 diet, it could potentially have a beneficial impact on some important risk markers for cardiovascular disease, in some cases more so than daily dieting. However, we need further studies to confirm our findings, to understand the underlying mechanisms and to improve the tolerability of the 5:2 diet.”