While some people swear by intermittent fasting for weight loss, recent research has found that it usually leads to results that are similar to calorie counting. But a new study suggests that the type of intermittent fasting you do matters—and a certain style of the eating plan could have an edge over calorie counting for weight loss.

Intermittent fasting has gained a following, in part because of tantalizing hints that it can boost cognition, fend off cancer and even slow aging

According to the study, intermittent fasting led to an average 2.89-kilogram greater weight loss than calorie restriction—a statistically significant difference, though researchers noted the limited generalizability of their findings due to the single-site study design and demographic makeup of participants, 73.9 percent of whom were women.