Intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating have become popular practices in recent years. While these practices often come up within the context of weight loss, scientific evidence suggests that they can also offer more holistic health benefits. Recent research suggests that it can even lower overall risk for conditions like type 2 diabetes and stroke.
A new paper published today in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine found that those who ate during designated windows benefited more than those who received counseling to follow a healthy lifestyle and given nutritional advice such as following a Mediterranean diet.
The authors analyzed data from 108 adults with metabolic syndrome who completed a three-month trial. Metabolic syndrome is a common condition characterized by the presence of at least three risk factors like high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol levels, and a large waist. Together, these factors increase one’s risk for coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke.
The participants were randomly designated to receive either standard nutritional counseling alone or standard counseling in addition to a personalized 8- to 10- hour time-restricted eating intervention for three months. The latter participants were tasked with reducing their eating time window by at least 4 hours. The researchers recorded body weight, blood sugar control, and other metabolic health markers before and after the trial.
The team found that compared to standard nutrition counseling alone, time-restricted eating further improved blood sugar regulation. Specifically, they looked at a blood metric known as HbA1c levels. This blood test reveals a person’s average blood sugar over 2 to 3 months. The group that received nutrition counseling alone lowered their average HbA1c levels from 5.86 percent to 5.84 percent, while the group that practiced time-restricted eating reduced theirs from 5.87 percent to 5.75 percent. This difference may be modest, but the time-restricted eating group also showed other improvements compared to the other cohort: They lost more body fat without losing lean body mass, and reduced body weight.
However, the researchers recognize some limitations from this study. Participants reported their eating habits, and self reports aren’t always reliable. Additionally, this was a small study where various factors, like diet and exercise, also impact blood sugar.
As researchers continue to learn more about time-restricted eating and other forms of intermittent fasting, we’ll better understand its implications in health and disease.
