Research conducted by Josiane Broussard, an assistant professor in health and exercise science at Colorado State University, has revealed that time-restricted eating (TRE), a form of intermittent fasting, can lower glucose and hunger levels.
However, it may also lead to reduced alertness. TRE involves consuming energy only during specific hours of the day while not necessarily reducing caloric intake.
Previous studies have shown that TRE has the potential to reduce the risk of metabolic diseases such as diabetes.
Study Findings: Glucose and Insulin Levels, Lipid Metabolism, and Alertness
In the study, healthy young individuals were asked to eat normally for one week and then restrict their eating to an eight-hour window for another week.
Blood measurements were taken hourly, including glucose, insulin, and lipids. The results showed that TRE lowered glucose and insulin levels, as well as certain lipids associated with metabolic diseases.
However, the participants reported sleeping less and feeling less alert during the TRE week compared to the non-TRE week. Further investigation into these preliminary findings is ongoing.
Impact on Fat Utilization and Hunger
The study also found that after one week of TRE, participants had higher rates of fat oxidation despite burning the same number of calories at rest as during typical eating.
Additionally, participants did not feel hungry in the morning after following TRE. These findings suggest that adopting TRE as a long-term behavior may contribute to fat loss.
Focus on Circadian Rhythm and Disease Risk
Josiane Broussard’s research lab focuses on studying the impact of sleep and circadian disruption on disease risk.
The lab examines night shift workers, individuals with insufficient sleep, and those who sleep at unconventional times, as they are at higher risk for obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke, and other conditions.
The lab aims to understand the mechanisms underlying disease risk and explore interventions to mitigate these risks.
Practical Recommendations and Future Research
Broussard suggests that individuals who sleep during the day should avoid eating overnight. Regarding exercise, timing is less important than following one’s personal motivation to exercise regularly.
Broussard’s team has submitted a grant to the National Institutes of Health to further investigate TRE in third-shift employees.
They aim to establish relationships with local businesses in order to improve the health of shift workers in the community.
While sleep schedules for night shift workers may be challenging to change, encouraging them to limit eating at night could potentially reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies that eating more eggs linked to higher risk of diabetes, and how to reduce heart disease death risk if you have diabetes.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about high-protein diet linked to higher risk of type 2 diabetes, and results showing Mediterranean diet could help reduce the diabetes risk by one third.
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