In a new study, researchers found that time-restricted eating may help control blood sugar levels and benefit people with a high risk of type 2 diabetes.
The research was conducted by a team from the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI).
In the study, the team examined 15 men for one week. All of the men had a high risk of type 2 diabetes.
The researchers limited the men’s food intake to a nine-hour period per day.
Each man undertook time-restricted eating either from 8.00am to 5.00pm or later in the day, from midday to 9.00pm. They could eat their normal diet during this time.
The team tested Blood glucose response to a standard meal every day.
They found that restricting the time period during which they could eat control help control blood glucose levels in these people.
The effect exists regardless of when the men chose to stop eating.
The finding suggests that changing when, rather than what, people eat may improve their glucose levels.
The researchers also found a small amount of weight loss in all participants. This may contribute to better blood sugar results.
They suggest that these findings show that people with risk of type 2 diabetes could enjoy delicious food if they can eat them at the right time of the day.
The time-restricted eating plan helps the body becomes more biologically able to deal with the nutrients in meals.
The new eating plan also allows the body to have more time fasting each night.
The team also suggests that although their findings show some promise for managing blood glucose levels in people with high diabetes risk, future work with more participants is needed to confirm the effects.
Future work also needs to see if the eating plan can be beneficial in the long run.
The lead author of the study is Associate Professor Leonie Heilbronn from the University’s Adelaide Medical School and SAHMRI.
The study is published in the journal Obesity.
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