- Eating within a specified time window is known as time-restricted eating, or TRE.
- Recent studies have shown that persons with metabolic syndrome can benefit from time-restricted eating (TRE) in addition to standard dietary advice when it comes to bettering glucose control and weight loss.
- People who participated in TRE lost more weight and had lower hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) levels than those who only followed conventional dietary guidelines.
Researchers from UC San Diego and the Salk Institute found that time-restricted eating (TRE), with some diet advice, can help adults with metabolic syndrome. It can help them lose weight and stabilize their blood sugar, but only slightly.
Researchers enrolled 108 people in the randomized controlled experiment and used the myCircadianClock (mCC) app to monitor their eating patterns.
The TRE group outperformed the group that only followed regular dietary guidelines in terms of weight loss and improvements in glucose management.
This study evaluated the effects of time-restricted eating (TRE) on weight reduction, fat mass, and glucose regulation in persons with metabolic syndrome. It was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors linked to an increased chance of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and excessive cholesterol. It is not a separate medical illness.
The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of customized TRE in addition to conventional nutritional advice as a lifestyle intervention.
The results showed that adding TRE to standard nutritional counseling led to slightly better glucose control. It also caused a smaller drop in weight and fat mass than using standard counseling alone.
Time-restricted eating (TRE), frequently observed in intermittent fasting, is gaining popularity as a tool for weight management. The most common method is to eat during a window of eight to twelve hours every day and fast outside of that window, permitting only water and calorie-free beverages.
According to earlier research by Trusted Source, TRE may provide several health advantages. These include weight loss, especially for those with obesity. It may also lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. This could reduce the risk of heart disease.
Time-Restricted Eating vs. Traditional Nutritional Guidelines
Researchers randomly divided the participants into two groups. The first group received recommendations for a nutritious diet and healthy lifestyle, such as following the Mediterranean diet, while continuing their prescribed medications and regular eating schedules.
The researchers provided the second group with the same dietary advice and instructed them to follow a customized eating window of 8 to 10 hours.
Over three months, researchers monitored the intervention remotely. Participants recorded their daily meal times using the myCircadianClock (mCC) app during this period.
The study primarily focused on variations in HbA1c and fasting blood glucose levels.
A blood test called the HbA1c helps detect or diagnose diabetes by displaying your average blood sugar levels over the previous two to three months.
Triglycerides, abdominal fat mass, C-reactive protein, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides were secondary outcomes.
People who practice time-restricted eating tend to lose more weight.
The TRE group lost more weight than those who only received diet tips, with a larger portion of that weight loss coming from fat. This suggests that TRE may help reduce the risk of muscle loss, which is commonly associated with weight loss.
The TRE group also experienced higher improvements in hemoglobin A1c levels and blood sugar management, despite the very small alterations.
According to these findings, TRE is a useful and practicable lifestyle intervention that improves cardiometabolic health and glycemic management.
Emily N.C. Manoogian, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, shared the main findings with Medical News Today. After 2.8 years, there was a 58% reduction in type 2 diabetes, matching the results seen in the Diabetes Prevention Program, Manoogian explained.
We saw an additional benefit because, notably, over 70% of participants were already taking medication to lower their cholesterol.
The research is “consistent with other studies that have shown a benefit to intermittent fasting/time-restricted eating,” says Mir B. Ali, MD. He is a board-certified bariatric surgeon and medical director of Memorial Care Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. Dr. Ali was not involved in the study.
“Research shows that an 8-10 hour time-restricted eating (TRE) window is an effective lifestyle approach. Combined with medications, it can improve various aspects of cardiometabolic health, including blood sugar and cholesterol.
Manoogian emphasized that to gain a deeper understanding of TRE’s health implications, longer-term studies with more participants and multiple research sites are needed.
The study contributes to the expanding body of knowledge on TRE and metabolic disorders, even if additional research is still required.
Furthermore, by creatively utilizing the myCircadianClock (mCC) app, future research may now be done more widely and remotely.
