The article “Time-restricted Eating for the Prevention and Management of Metabolic Diseases” explores the concept of time-restricted feeding (TRF) in animal studies and time-restricted eating (TRE) in humans as an emerging behavioral intervention for the prevention and management of metabolic diseases. The approach involves restricting all calorie intake within a consistent interval of less than 12 hours without explicitly reducing calories.
The article provides an overview of the origin of TRF/TRE, starting with the understanding of circadian rhythms and their role in physiology and metabolism. While circadian rhythms are commonly associated with the sleep-wake cycle and central nervous system rhythms, recent research has revealed the presence of circadian rhythms in peripheral organs, suggesting that adopting a daily short window of feeding could support robust circadian rhythms.
Animal studies have demonstrated the proof of concept for TRF and identified potential mechanisms underlying its benefits. TRF, without reducing caloric intake, has been shown to prevent or mitigate several metabolic diseases in animal models, including obesity, glucose intolerance, hepatic steatosis, dyslipidemia, and age-related decline in cardiac function.
Pilot human intervention studies have reported promising results in reducing the risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases through TRE, with or without explicit calorie reduction. Additionally, epidemiological studies have indicated that maintaining a consistent long overnight fast, similar to TRE, can significantly reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
Despite these initial successes, the authors emphasize the need for further clinical and mechanistic studies to implement TRE as a standalone or adjunctive lifestyle intervention for chronic metabolic diseases. They also highlight the importance of developing better methods to monitor and promote compliance to a daily eating pattern in humans to accurately assess the benefits of TRE. Overall, TRF and TRE show potential as effective strategies for metabolic disease prevention and management, but more research is warranted to fully understand their mechanisms and optimize their implementation.
https://academic.oup.com/edrv/article/43/2/405/6371193
