According to research being presented Thursday at ENDO 2023, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois, early-time limited feeding, a type of intermittent fasting, reduced time above range and improved variations in blood glucose levels.
With early time-restricted feeding (eTRF), just the first six to eight hours of the day are allowed for calorie consumption. This type of intermittent fasting may enhance blood sugar levels and cardiometabolic health, according to earlier studies. Bruno and associates sought to ascertain if the fasting method or weight loss were responsible for these advantages.
Ten people with prediabetes and obesity participated in a randomised seven-day isocaloric crossover supervised feeding trial comparing eTRF (80% of calories ingested before 1 p.m.) to a typical feeding pattern (50% of calories consumed after 4 p.m.).
For days 1–7, the patients were randomised 1:1 to either the eTRF or regular feeding schedules; on days 8–14, they switched to the alternative arm. To ascertain the weight-independent effects of this tactic, food was given to the patients in order to satisfy their caloric requirements for weight maintenance. During the beginning of the study, during crossover (day 7), and at the conclusion (day 14), the researchers administered glucose tolerance tests.
The weights of the subjects remained constant over the course of the trial, the researchers found. In comparison to the eating pattern as usual group, they discovered that eTRF led to a lower mean amplitude of glycemic excursion (MAGE) and decreased duration above the range. The time in range between the eTRF group and the regular feeding pattern group was comparable. According to Bruno,
By consuming the majority of one's calories earlier in the day, one can improve metabolic health by reducing the time that blood sugar is increased.
According to these results, eTRF may be able to lower blood sugar levels regardless of weight. The researchers noted that additional research is necessary to fully comprehend the advantages of various intervention tactics.