Scientists from Maastricht University found that following a time-restricted eating protocol, which limits food intake to a maximum 10-hour time window, can benefit metabolic health in people with type 2 diabetes.
The research is published in Diabetologia and was conducted by Prof. Patrick Schrauwen et al.
Our modern 24-hour society is characterized by endless food availability and disrupted day-night rhythm brought on by irregular sleep-activity patterns and frequent exposure to artificial light sources.
In Western nations, people also tend to spread their daily food intake over a minimum of 14 hours, which is likely to result in the absence of a true, nocturnal fasting state.
These factors all contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes.
In the study, time-restricted eating is a novel strategy for improving metabolic health and is intended to counteract the detrimental effects of eating throughout the day.
It could limit the duration of food intake (typically 12 hours or less) and restore the cycle of daytime eating and prolonged fasting during the evening and night.
In the study, the team tested 14 people with type 2 diabetes, aged between 50 and 75 years and with body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m2.
The study consisted of two 3-week intervention periods: time-restricted eating and control, separated by a wash-out period of at least 4 weeks.
During time-restricted eating, 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.
Outside this time window, they were permitted to drink water, plain tea, or black coffee, and zero-calorie soft drinks were also allowed during the evening if consumed in moderation.
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, which might have been the result of lasting changes in night glucose control.
Low blood sugar was not strongly increased by time-restricted eating and no serious adverse effects were reported.
This shows that an eating window of approximately 10 hours is a safe and effective lifestyle intervention for adults with type 2 diabetes.
The team 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.
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