A time-restricted, intermittent fasting diet that involves eating early in the day could be instrumental in decreasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a study has found.
Conducted by researchers from the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), the study compared two diets: a time-restricted, intermittent fasting diet, and a calorie-reduced diet.
The aim of the research was to assess which dietary approach was more advantageous for individuals predisposed to developing type 2 diabetes.
Professor Leonie Heilbronn from the University of Adelaide’s Adelaide Medical School, the senior author of the study, stated that people who fasted intermittently – only eating between 8am and 12pm for three days a week – demonstrated an improved glucose tolerance after six months when compared to individuals on a daily low-calorie diet.
The Findings
Those on the intermittent fasting diet also displayed a heightened insulin sensitivity and a significant reduction in blood lipids, compared to those on the calorie-reduced diet.
This increased sensitivity to insulin could prove beneficial in preventing type 2 diabetes, a condition where the body’s cells fail to respond effectively to insulin and the body subsequently loses its ability to produce this hormone, which regulates glucose in the blood.
According to estimates, approximately 60 percent of type 2 diabetes cases could be averted or postponed through dietary and lifestyle modifications. Currently, almost 1.3 million Australians live with this incurable condition.
The 18-month-long study involved over 200 participants from South Australia and was published in the journal Nature Medicine.
Notably, participants following both the time-restricted, intermittent fasting diet and the low-calorie diet experienced comparable amounts of weight loss.
Insights and Future Research
Xiao Tong Teong, a Ph.D. student at the University of Adelaide and the first author of the study, explained that the study is the largest of its kind worldwide to assess how the body metabolizes and utilizes glucose post-meal, which is a more accurate indicator of diabetes risk than a fasting test.
The findings contribute to a growing body of evidence suggesting that meal timing and fasting advice extend the health benefits of a restricted calorie diet, independently from weight loss.
This knowledge could influence future clinical practices.
The researchers plan to conduct further studies to determine whether a longer eating window on fasting days could offer the same benefits, thereby making the diet more sustainable in the long term.
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The study was published in Nature Medicine.
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