Intermittent Fasting + Time-Restricted Eating Beneficial for Those at Risk for T2DM

WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- For adults at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, a novel approach of intermittent fasting plus early time-restricted eating (iTRE) leads to improved glucose tolerance, according to a study published online April 6 in Nature Medicine.

Xiao Tong Teong, from the University of Adelaide in Australia, and colleagues developed a novel iTRE approach for adults at risk for type 2 diabetes. A total of 209 adults at risk for developing type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to iTRE (30 percent energy requirements between 0800 and 1200 hours followed by 20 hours of fasting three days per week), calorie restriction (CR; 70 percent of energy requirements), or standard care (85, 83, and 41 participants, respectively). A total of 67, 62, and 37 participants were included in the primary analysis set; the final analysis set at 18 months included 55, 54, and 28 participants, respectively.

The researchers found that glucose tolerance in response to a mixed-meal tolerance test was improved to a greater extent with iTRE than CR (−10.10 versus −3.57) at six months, but at month 18, these differences were attenuated. Adverse events were generally mild and transient. Compared with CR and standard care, reports of fatigue were higher in iTRE; reports of constipation and headache were higher in iTRE and CR than in standard care.

"The results of this study add to the growing body of evidence to indicate that meal timing and fasting advice extends the health benefits of a restricted calorie diet, independently from weight loss, and this may be influential in clinical practice," Teong said in a statement.

Abstract/Full Text