In the modern 24-hour society, people often have access to food at all hours and have disrupted day-night rhythms due to irregular sleep-activity patterns and exposure to artificial light sources.
In Western nations, people also tend to spread their daily food intake over a minimum of 14 hours, often avoiding a true nocturnal fasting state. These factors can contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes.
Time-Restricted Eating: A Novel Strategy
Scientists from Maastricht University have found that time-restricted eating can benefit metabolic health in people with type 2 diabetes.
This protocol limits food intake to a maximum 10-hour window during the day and helps to restore the cycle of daytime eating and prolonged fasting during the evening and night.
Study Details
The study involved 14 participants with type 2 diabetes, aged between 50 and 75 years, and with a body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m2.
It consisted of two 3-week intervention periods: time-restricted eating and control, separated by a wash-out period of at least 4 weeks.
During the time-restricted eating period, participants were instructed to eat their normal diet within a 10-hour window during the daytime and to complete their food intake by no later than 6:00 in the evening.
The team found that time-restricted eating decreased 24-hour blood sugar levels, primarily as a result of lower night blood sugar.
Morning fasting blood sugar was consistently lower among the time-restricted eating group than those on the control diet.
No serious adverse effects were reported, indicating that a 10-hour eating window is a safe and effective lifestyle intervention for adults with type 2 diabetes.
Conclusion
The researchers concluded that a daytime 10-hour time-restricted eating regimen for 3 weeks decreases blood sugar levels and prolongs the time spent in the normal blood sugar range in adults with type 2 diabetes.
This suggests that dietary interventions like time-restricted eating can play an important role in managing type 2 diabetes.
Follow us on Twitter for more articles about this topic.
Copyright © 2023 Scientific Diet. All rights reserved.
