That indicates that changes came from calorie restriction, not time restriction. Critics of the study say it could be that the eating window — eight hours — simply wasn't short enough to make a difference for the time-restricted group, and that a six-hour window might have different results.

So time-restricted eating continues to be debated. But there's no question that calorie reduction and exercise are effective for weight loss; we have lots of evidence that they work. Advocates claim that it can help a person to lose weight quickly, but no….

New research suggests that intermittent fasting is no better than calorie restriction for weight loss and is less effective for reducing body fat….

The GM, or General Motors, weight-loss diet plan involves eating only specific food groups each day for a total of 7 days. In this article, we look at….

Researchers say bariatric surgery can help with weight loss, but it can also help improve cognitive functions including memory. Researchers say running can help with weight loss but only in the short term. This form of exercise does have other health benefits from maintaining….

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Medical News Today. Health Conditions Health Products Discover Tools Connect. Is time-restricted eating effective for weight loss? Medically reviewed by Grant Tinsley, Ph. What is it? Does it work? Maintaining muscle Beginner's guide Takeaway Time-restricted eating is a diet focusing on meal timing instead of calorie intake.

What is time-restricted eating? Does it work for weight loss? Maintaining muscle and TRE. Q: Which people, situations, or medical conditions might a time-restricted eating diet suit and why? A: Time-restricted feeding seems to be beneficial for most people who are not experiencing acute illness or taking medications to lower blood sugar, for type 2 diabetes, for example.

Adolescents, young adults, or middle-aged people may all benefit from time-restricted eating if they are only lightly or moderately physically active and are interested in: losing weight reducing blood sugar reducing gut inflammation or improving their gut microbiome These people are most likely to experience benefits with minimal downsides.

Natalie Butler, RD, LD Answers represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice. Was this helpful? How we reviewed this article: Sources. Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations.

We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

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Related Coverage. Does the oatmeal diet work for weight loss? Medically reviewed by Natalie Olsen, R. Intermittent fasting no better than calorie restriction for weight loss New research suggests that intermittent fasting is no better than calorie restriction for weight loss and is less effective for reducing body fat… READ MORE.

Can you lose weight with the 7-day GM diet? Medically reviewed by Katherine Marengo LDN, R. Bariatric surgery can affect brain structure, may improve cognitive function Researchers say bariatric surgery can help with weight loss, but it can also help improve cognitive functions including memory READ MORE.

Running has limited benefits for weight loss, but it can help prevent weight gain Researchers say running can help with weight loss but only in the short term.

Trepanowski JF, Kroeger CM, Barnosky A, Klempel M, Bhutani S, Hoddy KK, Rood J, et al. Effects of alternate-day fasting or daily calorie restriction on body composition, fat distribution, and circulating adipokines: secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

Clin Nutr. Catenacci VA, Pan Z, Ostendorf D, Brannon S, Gozansky WS, Mattson MP, Martin B, et al. Conley M, Le Fevre L, Haywood C, Proietto J. Is two days of intermittent energy restriction per week a feasible weight loss approach in obese males?

A randomised pilot study. Nutr Diet. Coutinho SR, Halset EH, Gåsbakk S, Rehfeld JF, Kulseng B, Truby H, Martins C.

Compensatory mechanisms activated with intermittent energy restriction: a randomized control trial. Carter S, Clifton P, Keogh J.

The effects of intermittent compared to continuous energy restriction on glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes; a pragmatic pilot trial.

Diabetes Res Clin Pract. Varady KA, Bhutani S, Klempel MC, Kroeger CM. Comparison of effects of diet versus exercise weight loss regimens on LDL and HDL particle size in obese adults. Lipids Health Dis. Moro T, Tinsley G, Bianco A, Marcolin G, Pacelli QF, Battaglia G, Palma A, et al.

Santos HO, Macedo RC. Impact of intermittent fasting on the lipid profile: Assessment associated with diet and weight loss. Clin Nutr ESPEN. Molina-Jiménez A, López-Oliva S, Garicano-Vilar E, del Carmen Morais-Moreno M, de Cuevillas B, de Prado JG, Avila-Diaz P et al.

Biochemistry and endocrine changes after a 6-week Mediterranean diet intervention with fasting for weight loss. EuroMediterranean Biomed J. Klempel MC, Varady KA. Reliability of leptin, but not adiponectin, as a biomarker for diet-induced weight loss in humans.

Siklova-Vitkova M, Klimcakova E, Polak J, Kovacova Z, Tencerova M, Rossmeislova L, Bajzova M, et al. Adipose tissue secretion and expression of adipocyte-produced and stromavascular fraction-produced adipokines vary during multiple phases of weight-reducing dietary intervention in obese women.

J Clin Endocr. Tajtákova M, Petrásova D, Petrovicová J, Pytliak M, Semanová Z. Adiponectin as a biomarker of clinical manifestation of metabolic syndrome. Heinonen M, Laaksonen D, Karhu T, Karhunen L, Laitinen T, Kainulainen S, Rissanen A, et al.

Effect of diet-induced weight loss on plasma apelin and cytokine levels in individuals with the metabolic syndrome. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. Christiansen T, Paulsen SK, Bruun JM, Pedersen SB, Richelsen B.

Exercise training versus diet-induced weight-loss on metabolic risk factors and inflammatory markers in obese subjects: a week randomized intervention study. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. Ouchi N, Kihara S, Arita Y, Nishida M, Matsuyama A, Okamoto Y, Ishigami M, et al.

Adipocyte-derived plasma protein, adiponectin, suppresses lipid accumulation and class A scavenger receptor expression in human monocyte-derived macrophages. Yamauchi T, Kamon J, Waki H, Terauchi Y, Kubota N, Hara K, Mori Y, et al. The fat-derived hormone adiponectin reverses insulin resistance associated with both lipoatrophy and obesity.

Nat Med. Lobo V, Patil A, Phatak A, Chandra N. Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods: impact on human health. Phcog Rev. Landete J. Dietary intake of natural antioxidants: vitamins and polyphenols.

Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. LeCheminant JD, Christenson E, Bailey BW, Tucker LA. Restricting night-time eating reduces daily energy intake in healthy young men: a short-term cross-over study. Br J Nutr. Sundfør T, Tonstad S, Svendsen M.

Effects of intermittent versus continuous energy restriction for weight loss on diet quality and eating behavior. A randomized trial. Eur J Clin Nutr. Bracci EL, Keogh JB, Milte R, Murphy KJ. A comparison of dietary quality and nutritional adequacy of popular energy restricted diets against the australian guide to healthy eating and the Mediterranean Diet.

Ptomey LT, Willis EA, Goetz JR, Lee J, Szabo-Reed AN, Sullivan DK, Donnelly JE. J Hum Nutr Diet. Download references. Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey.

Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Endocrinology, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey. You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar. ÖMÇ designed the study, collected data, performed the statistical analyses, wrote the manuscript.

EK designed the study and wrote the manuscript. MA designed the study and wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Correspondence to Özge Mengi Çelik. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent was obtained from all participants included in the study. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Where the study was conducted : Gazi University Faculty of Health Sciences Nutrition and Diet Individual Counseling Center, Ankara, Turkey. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4. Reprints and permissions. Mengi Çelik, Ö. BMC Nutr 9 , 97 Download citation.

Received : 12 January Accepted : 26 July Published : 09 August Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:.

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Skip to main content. Search all BMC articles Search. Download PDF. Abstract Background Time-restricted eating TRE is a current popular dietary strategy for noncommunicable diseases. Methods This pilot study was completed 23 healthy overweight female. Conclusion Energy-restricted diet yielded better results in weight loss and improvement of body composition and diet quality compared to TRE.

Introduction Obesity is a health problem that affects all age groups and has a high prevalence worldwide. Materials and methods Data collection This experimental study was carried out with 26 healthy overweight female individuals aged between 19 and 32 years, who applied to Gazi University Faculty of Health Sciences Nutrition and Diet Individual Counseling Center between January - May Anthropometric measurements and body composition Anthropometric and body composition measurements of individuals were taken by the researcher at the beginning and end of the study in accordance with technique.

Determination of resting energy expenditure Resting energy expenditure was measured at the beginning and end of the study using indirect calorimetry COSMED, FitMatePro, Rome, Italy. Biochemical parameters and blood pressure Blood samples from individuals were taken at the beginning and end of the study, after at least 8 h of fasting, in the morning hours by the Gazi University Medical Faculty Hospital blood collection unit in 10 ml yellow capped tubes and delivered to the researcher.

Results Twenty-three healthy and overweight female individuals aged between 19 and 32 years participated in the study. Table 1 Characteristics of individuals at the beginning of the study Full size table.

Table 2 Changes in anthropometric measurements, body composition and energy expenditure of individuals Full size table. Table 3 Changes in biochemical parameters and blood pressure of individuals Full size table. Table 4 Dietary energy value and nutrient intake before and after the intervention Full size table.

Table 5 Comparison of the diet quality of the individuals Full size table. Full size image. Discussion In this study, TRE and ERD were compared in terms of nutritional status and diet quality.

Conclusion In the light of current data, TRE emerged as an alternative method of energy restriction and body weight loss. Abbreviations BMI: Body mass index ERD: Energy-restricted diet HDL-C: High density lipoprotein cholesterol HEI: Healthy eating index HOMA-IR: Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance IL Interleukin 6 LDL-C: Low density lipoprotein cholesterol OSI: Oxidative stress index PAL: Physical activity level PAR: Physical activity ratio PGC-1α: Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma coactivator 1alpha PPAR-α: Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha REE: Resting energy expenditure TAS: Total antioxidant status TEE: Total energy expenditure TOS: Total oxidant status TRE: Time-restricted eating.

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before starting your fast. It may help to set timers at both the beginning and the end of your eating window to remind you when to start and stop eating.

Filling up on nutrient-rich foods helps round out your diet and supports a healthy weight. Try balancing each meal with a wide variety of whole foods, such as:. Drinking calorie-free beverages like water and unsweetened tea and coffee, even while fasting, also helps control your appetite while keeping you hydrated.

Be sure to follow a balanced diet based in whole foods. It can cut down on the time and money you need to spend on cooking and preparing food each week. It has been associated with a long list of health benefits.

Restricting your eating window to a few hours per day can cut your calorie intake over the course of the day, which in turn may contribute to weight loss. For example, one review found that 11 of 13 studies on intermittent fasting reported statistically significant weight loss in participants 2 , 3.

Intermittent fasting has been shown to reduce fasting insulin and blood sugar levels, potentially decreasing your risk of diabetes 4 , 5.

Evidence in humans is limited, but some animal studies note that intermittent fasting may extend longevity. Animal and human studies suggest that intermittent fasting may increase weight loss, improve blood sugar levels, and extend longevity.

Be sure to start your fasting regimen gradually and consider stopping or consulting your doctor if you have any concerns or experience negative symptoms. Restricting your intake to just 8 hours per day may cause some people to eat more than usual during eating periods in an attempt to make up for hours spent fasting.

This may lead to weight gain, digestive problems, and unhealthy eating habits. Both eating patterns may lead to modest weight loss 3 , 8. If weight loss is your primary goal, you may therefore prefer to lower your calorie intake, exercise more, eat more whole foods, or sleep sufficiently instead of fasting intermittently to prevent the overeating that may occur when restricting intake to a certain time window.

Some animal research suggests that intermittent fasting may lead to hormonal changes and undereating. In people with ovaries, these changes may negatively affect menstrual cycles and fertility 9 , However, most studies are old and have been conducted in animals.

Human studies are needed to fully understand how intermittent fasting may affect reproductive health. Furthermore, postmenopausal individuals may experience different effects from intermittent fasting. Menopause causes changes that can decrease insulin sensitivity and lead to weight gain, and intermittent fasting may help improve these outcomes Restricting daily food intake to a particular time window may cause increased food intake and weight gain, as well as short-term hunger and weakness.

Older animal studies indicate that intermittent fasting may interfere with fertility. Is there an optimal way, researchers wondered, to incorporate fasting into a dietary regimen?

What if instead of just cutting down on calories, attention were paid to when the meals that make up that restricted calorie diet are eaten? Several regimens have been proposed. Eating a regular diet on 5 days and cutting calories down to on two days a week fast , doing the same on alternate days of the week fast , or fasting for hours a day daily time-restricted eating have all been tried.

In the latter case, no restrictions are placed on calories during the hours when food is consumed, but experiments have shown that this automatically results in a reduction of calories because night-time snacking is eliminated. While most of the trials involving these regimens have resulted in weight loss, the benefits such as improvement in glucose regulation, blood pressure, inflammation, and loss of abdominal fat, go beyond what would be expected for weight reduction.

Over 6 months, both groups lost the same amount of weight, but the group had improved insulin sensitivity and a larger reduction in waist circumference.

Some preliminary studies have also shown suppressed tumour growth in a number of cancers. There are even suggestions that intermittent fasting can improve memory and cognitive performance. The evidence of benefits continues to accumulate.

In a widely quoted study, one group of mice was given access to food only during a 9-hour period, while those in a control group were able to eat whenever they liked. The two groups actually ended up eating roughly the same amount of food, so at least in this case, whatever results were obtained could not be ascribed to a difference in caloric intake.

After 7 weeks, tissue samples were taken from multiple organs and examined for any changes in gene expression. Genes code for the production of proteins, so basically the researchers measured whether the production of various proteins increased or decreased. Genes that code for proteins responsible for inflammation were found to be less active, while genes that produce proteins that repair damage to DNA and ones that inhibit cancer cell survival geared up.

But, of course, mice are not men or women. So, what about men or women? One interesting study examined changes in a number of proteins produced as a result of eating only during a hour period and fasting for 14 hours.

The subjects, 8 men and 6 women, were all observers of the Muslim religious month of Ramadan during which no food or drink is consumed between dawn and sunset.

These parameters are easily monitored and can provide information about the health effects of fasting in addition to changes in gene expression. All of the markers of metabolic syndrome shifted in the right direction during the month of the hour fast, as did proteins involved in destroying cancer cells, repairing DNA, and improving immune function.

All very interesting, but the experimental group was small and the study period of a month was short. Also, the subjects all had metabolic syndrome, and calorie intake was not considered. Basically, not much can be inferred as far as the general population goes. That though is not the case for a study that compared the effects of eating an early or late dinner on glucose levels, insulin production, triglyceride levels and fatty acid oxidation which is a measure of ketosis.

Subjects ate their dinner either at 6 or 10 PM, and then had their blood chemistry monitored every hour through an intravenous line. The late dinner resulted in greater glucose intolerance and reduced fatty acid oxidation, both of which can promote obesity.

Potential benefits may include weight loss, fat loss, and a reduction in the risk of some diseases. People doing intermittent fasting should focus on eating high fiber whole foods and staying hydrated throughout the day. The plan is not right for everyone. Individuals who wish to follow the intermittent fasting diet should speak with a doctor or dietitian if they have any concerns or underlying health conditions.

Intermittent fasting is a diet plan that means consuming few to no calories on fasting day and eating normally on nonfasting days.

We look at the…. Intermittent fasting has many potential benefits. Tips to start include having a goal and choosing a suitable method.

In this Behind the Counter, Dr. Kelly Wood discusses the impact of intermittent fasting on type 2 diabetes, along with the potential benefits and….

Recent research suggests that following the Atlantic diet, which is similar to the Mediterranean diet, may help prevent metabolic syndrome and other…. A new study showed that a Mediterranean or MIND diet improved women's cognitive health during midlife.

The study of twins found that those…. My podcast changed me Can 'biological race' explain disparities in health?

Why Parkinson's research is zooming in on the gut Tools General Health Drugs A-Z Health Hubs Health Tools Find a Doctor BMI Calculators and Charts Blood Pressure Chart: Ranges and Guide Breast Cancer: Self-Examination Guide Sleep Calculator Quizzes RA Myths vs Facts Type 2 Diabetes: Managing Blood Sugar Ankylosing Spondylitis Pain: Fact or Fiction Connect About Medical News Today Who We Are Our Editorial Process Content Integrity Conscious Language Newsletters Sign Up Follow Us.

Medical News Today. Health Conditions Health Products Discover Tools Connect. A guide to intermittent fasting.

Medically reviewed by Kathy W. Warwick, R. About How to do it Tips Health benefits Side effects and risks Diabetes Summary The intermittent fasting plan is a form of time-restricted fasting that may help with weight loss.

What is intermittent fasting? How to do it. Recommended foods and tips. Health benefits. Side effects and risks. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations.

We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles.

You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Share this article. Latest news Ovarian tissue freezing may help delay, and even prevent menopause.

RSV vaccine errors in babies, pregnant people: Should you be worried?

In addition, a diet rich in fresh vegetables and fruit, together with probiotics, will optimise your gut microbiome and powerfully enhance your mood. On The Fast Online Programme , we have made this easy for you.

Whether you opt to follow a schedule or an calorie diet, or simply want to eat a healthy Mediterranean-style diet, our recipes are designed to combine perfectly with time-restricted eating.

We also have two meal a day plans available for those looking to reduce their eating window further, making sure your protein targets continue to be reached within two meals, instead of three.

Time-restricted eating Time-restricted eating, or TRE, is very straightforward. How does it work? Name Required. Email Required. Further benefits As the studies show, the benefits of time-restricted eating are immense.

In addition to the results documented in the experiments above, experiments also suggest 6 that time-restricted eating can lead to — increased daytime alertness; better mood; prevention or reversal of metabolic disease; improved liver function; lowered calorie intake; weight loss maintained for a year after the study ; and, lowered risk of breast cancer.

To make the time-restricted eating work harder, eat better To make time-restricted eating successful, eating nutritious, filling and delicious food is also key.

Time-restricted eating: five practical steps Weight loss can be a powerful motivator, so before you begin, make a note of your weight. Stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water can keep the hunger at bay.

You can also try adding fresh ginger, a slice of fresh lemon or lime to hot water or to sparkling water. Black coffee and tea are fine to have during your fasting hours.

Keep exercising: a fitness programme will help to keep you insulin-sensitive, which is key to preventing cravings from taking over. However, avoid endurance or highly demanding exercise on a fast day. As soon as you have finished the last meal of the day, brush your teeth.

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Functional Functional Always active The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.

The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Not recognized in the early rodent experiments was the fact that the animals consumed their restricted food allotment within a few hours of it being provided, meaning that they had long periods of fasting.

In a fasting state, with no glucose being provided, a back-up system is engaged. Cells begin to crank out various molecules that repair DNA, reduce inflammation, regulate glucose sensitivity and break down damaged cells autophagy.

All these processes can benefit health. This brings up the question of whether the benefits of a calorie-restricted diet seen in animals may be a function not only of the reduced calorie content, but also of the time frame during which no food is consumed. Is there an optimal way, researchers wondered, to incorporate fasting into a dietary regimen?

What if instead of just cutting down on calories, attention were paid to when the meals that make up that restricted calorie diet are eaten?

Several regimens have been proposed. Eating a regular diet on 5 days and cutting calories down to on two days a week fast , doing the same on alternate days of the week fast , or fasting for hours a day daily time-restricted eating have all been tried. In the latter case, no restrictions are placed on calories during the hours when food is consumed, but experiments have shown that this automatically results in a reduction of calories because night-time snacking is eliminated.

While most of the trials involving these regimens have resulted in weight loss, the benefits such as improvement in glucose regulation, blood pressure, inflammation, and loss of abdominal fat, go beyond what would be expected for weight reduction.

Over 6 months, both groups lost the same amount of weight, but the group had improved insulin sensitivity and a larger reduction in waist circumference. Some preliminary studies have also shown suppressed tumour growth in a number of cancers. There are even suggestions that intermittent fasting can improve memory and cognitive performance.

The evidence of benefits continues to accumulate. In a widely quoted study, one group of mice was given access to food only during a 9-hour period, while those in a control group were able to eat whenever they liked.

The two groups actually ended up eating roughly the same amount of food, so at least in this case, whatever results were obtained could not be ascribed to a difference in caloric intake. After 7 weeks, tissue samples were taken from multiple organs and examined for any changes in gene expression.

Genes code for the production of proteins, so basically the researchers measured whether the production of various proteins increased or decreased. Genes that code for proteins responsible for inflammation were found to be less active, while genes that produce proteins that repair damage to DNA and ones that inhibit cancer cell survival geared up.

But, of course, mice are not men or women. So, what about men or women? One interesting study examined changes in a number of proteins produced as a result of eating only during a hour period and fasting for 14 hours.

The subjects, 8 men and 6 women, were all observers of the Muslim religious month of Ramadan during which no food or drink is consumed between dawn and sunset. These parameters are easily monitored and can provide information about the health effects of fasting in addition to changes in gene expression.

All of the markers of metabolic syndrome shifted in the right direction during the month of the hour fast, as did proteins involved in destroying cancer cells, repairing DNA, and improving immune function. All very interesting, but the experimental group was small and the study period of a month was short.

Also, the subjects all had metabolic syndrome, and calorie intake was not considered. Basically, not much can be inferred as far as the general population goes. That though is not the case for a study that compared the effects of eating an early or late dinner on glucose levels, insulin production, triglyceride levels and fatty acid oxidation which is a measure of ketosis.

Subjects ate their dinner either at 6 or 10 PM, and then had their blood chemistry monitored every hour through an intravenous line. The late dinner resulted in greater glucose intolerance and reduced fatty acid oxidation, both of which can promote obesity.

Why should this happen? During sleep, metabolism normally winds down since the body needs less energy. Therefore, ingested glucose and fats are not burned for energy, but rather end up being stored as fat. If dinner is eaten earlier, metabolism remains active until sleep time and less fat ends up being stored.

This study would seem to corroborate the benefits of the daily time-restricted fast since if no food is eaten after late afternoon, the reduced metabolism associated with sleep is less of an issue because most of the food will have been metabolized in the 5 or 6 hours between the last meal and sleep.

Now, just as I was ready to wrap things up with a final praise of intermittent fasting schemes, I learned of two recently published papers in respected journals. One found that in adults over the age of 40, a time interval of fewer than 4.

The second study asked participants to use an app to record the timing of their meals and then went on to relate this to their body weight as documented in their medical records over a ten-year period. Weight changes were not associated with the time between the first and last meals, which would seem to argue against trying to lose weight by time-restricted eating.