Eating only within a 10-hour window every day improves key markers of heart health in people with metabolic syndrome.
- Intermittent fasting, called time-restricted eating, may improve the health of people with metabolic syndrome.
- The latter consists of limiting food consumption within a 10-hour window each day.
- His followers showed a drop in cholesterol, blood sugar, hemoglobin A1c levels as well as their weight and BMI.
Nearly one in five French people are affected by metabolic syndrome. That is to say, he has a large waist circumference (more than 94 cm for men and 80 cm for women) and at least two other abnormalities such as hyperglycemia, a high triglyceride level, a low good cholesterol levels or blood pressure that is too high. This disorder greatly increases the risk of developing various diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases.
According to a study from the University of California at San Diego and the Salk Institute, to reduce these risks, people who have too much “belly” would benefit from adopting intermittent fasting called “time-restricted eating”. It involves eating only over a 10 hour window.
Their results are presented in the September 30, 2024 edition of Annals of Internal Medicine.
Diabetes, cholesterol: limiting calories over 10 hours reduces the risks
To evaluate the effects of time-restricted eating, researchers brought together 108 patients who had received nutritional advice on the Mediterranean diet. Half of them were instructed to eat without changing anything in their routine, the others were only asked to eat for a period of 10 hours. The latter was defined according to the eating and sleeping habits as well as the personal commitments of each participant. The eating window thus began at least an hour after waking up and ended at least three hours before falling asleep.
Three months later, all the volunteers underwent medical examinations. Analyzes showed that people who limited their calorie intake over 10 hours experienced improvements in key indicators of heart health, such as blood sugar and cholesterol. A decline in hemoglobin A1c levels, a marker of long-term blood sugar management, was also observed.
“Metabolic syndrome, in particular, when associated with prediabetes, represents a critical tipping point in which the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease is significantly increased,” recalls Dr. Pam Taub, co-corresponding author of the study. “We hope the results of this study can help others who are looking to treat their metabolic syndrome and reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes.”
Additionally, time-restricted eating was associated with decreased body weight, body mass index (BMI), and abdominal fat. Additionally, participants did not display significant loss of lean muscle mass, a concern when losing weight.
Metabolic syndrome: why is intermittent fasting beneficial?
It has already been repeatedly shown that erratic eating habits can disrupt circadian rhythms. Which promotes symptoms of metabolic syndrome, including increased abdominal fat and abnormal cholesterol or triglycerides.
The authors argue that time-restricted eating, meaning eating all calories within a constant 10-hour window, avoids disrupting our internal clock.
“Our bodies actually process sugars and fats very differently depending on the time of day”explains Satchidananda Panda, co-corresponding author of the study in a press release. “By time-restricted eating, we re-engage the body’s natural wisdom and harness its daily circadian rhythms to restore metabolism and improve health.”
