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Food restriction and time Do it work?

A new study asks whether eating a restricted diet can have positive health benefits. AleksandarNakic/Getty Images

• The outcomes of animal studies have revealed significant metabolic benefits from restricted feeding.
• Early human experiments suggest these results could be of benefit to humans.
• A recent study takes a look at the evidence that has been gathered from both human and animal studies.
• The authors recommend that more research is required to understand the ways by the way that restricted eating habits could be beneficial and viable for humans.

Researchers have reviewed the evidence to support the health benefits of eating time-restricted -that is a type of intermittent fasting which requires that people consume food only within the same duration each day.

The review, included in the publication of the Endocrine Society, Endocrine Reviews researchers looked into animal research as well as the first human research. They discovered evidence that restricting time eating habits can aid in the prevention of and treatment of various metabolic illnesses.

They do insist on additional substantive studies to determine the positive benefits of time-restricted consumption on humans and to uncover the mechanisms behind these effects.

Circadian rhythm

The idea of restricted eating for time has received significant interest from researchers over the past few years. If eating is limited by time, people generally eat their normal diet, but only for a specific daily timeframe. It can range from six to twelve hours.

Scientists have proven the advantages when eating food with time restrictions, especially in studies on mice. There are however many trials with human participants which have shown promising results.

The author who corresponds to Prof. Satchidananda Panda from the Regulatory Biology Laboratory at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego, CA, interviewed Medical News Today. He stated that time-restricted dietary studies on animals have shown potential health benefits from eating time-restricted for humans.

"Animal studies so far have revealed that eating restricted for a certain amount of time affects various organs, and even the microbiome of the gut in a positive way. Numerous pathways and molecules associated with metabolic disorders, like prediabetes and diabetes, adiposity [...], fat liver disease, as well as certain cancers, are controlled in a positive manner by eating with a time limit," Professor. Panda.

According to the authors of the most recent review one of the principal benefits of a strictly controlled diet is that it can help people to restore their disturbed circadian rhythm.

Circadian rhythms comprise a variety of bodily functions that take place during the course of a 24-hour periodTrusted Source. Professor. Panda and his colleagues have observed that circadian rhythms were created through changes in light, temperature, and humidity, in addition to the availability of nutrients in the day and night cycles of the Earth. day cycles.

If someone is experiencing disturbance in their circadian rhythm, they're susceptible to a variety of health problems which include cancers metabolic diseases, issues with the hormones, the immune system and reproductive problems.

Modern living may alter the circadian rhythms in different ways. As per Professor. Panda and his colleagues 40% of individuals work, tend to those they love, and are socializing into late hours, resulting in the circadian rhythm to be disturbed.

Fasting and the circadian rhythm

The primary cause for the disturbance may be an increase in consumption of food in excess of the amount that your body is accustomed to according to its circadian rhythm, which is when you are sleeping, rather than during the daytime.

Professor. Panda and his colleagues mention their findings that indicate that circadian cycles which affect peripheral organs as well as the majority of our brains are most affected by the timing of food intake.

A restriction on eating during a certain time which includes the fasting period can help to support cycles of circadian rhythms. It could also reduce the chance of negative health effects that an imbalanced circadian rhythm might bring about.

Professor. Panda and his associates are also highlighting that mice studies show that eating restricted for time can diminish the size of the adipose tissues and boost gut health.

Researchers find that there are only a few human studies looking at the benefits of restricted meals. Initial results from these studies show positive effects observed in animal models. These include the decrease in body mass and the waist circumference of the waist and the weight of the body.

Professor. Dorothy Sears from the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine also talked to MNT..

Professor. Sears can be described as an expert on eating habits that are restricted by time along with the circadian rhythm. She stated she believes the work of Prof. Panda and his colleagues their research "is a thorough review article that summarizes the accumulating evidence that alignment of food intake with the body's biological rhythms promotes health."

Ideal eating window?

The research being conducted provides a suggestion of the best timing to reduce consumption of foods eaten.

When interviewed by MNT Professor. Panda stated "The human studies have tested 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-hour time-restricted eating, and these studies show some dose responses."

"Four- and 6-hour time-restricted eating can have many benefits among [people with overweight and obesity], but it also reduces quality of life due to its adverse effects on feeling excessive hunger, dizziness, headache, and nausea, etc."

"Eight- and 10-hour time-restricted eating windows are well tolerated, yield several benefits, and people voluntarily adopt such practices long term. "

"Twelve-hour time-restricted eating may not produce immediate benefits within a few months, but we do not know in the long term if it could impart some benefits."

According to Prof. Sears, "There is insufficient research evidence that supports any particular regimen, e.g., best time of day to start/stop eating or how many 'eating' hours per day."

"Promising evidence from Dr. Panda's lab in mice supports that an occasional 'day off' from time-restricted eating, or eating at night may still confer benefit in humans," Professor. Sears.MEDICAL NEWS Today's NEWSLETTERKnowledge can be a source of power. Join our daily newsletter for free.

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However, Professor. Panda told MNT that certain individuals must seek the advice of a physician prior to starting the diet plan which is time-bound.

"Most people and their caregivers believe that it's safe for everyone from teens to seniors to eat a restricted diet for 12 hours every day. Time-restricted eating for ten hours is possible for those who do not suffer from a chronic illness," stated Prof. Panda.

"For those suffering from type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases restricted eating for 10 hours or less [...] might require medical supervision to prevent hypoglycemia or medication adjustments. In the same way, those with other chronic illnesses should consult their doctor prior to starting eating for 8 or 10 hours. eating."

"Time-restricted eating for 6 or 4 hours is not recommended for the majority of people. A short time frame for eating could also result in a significant reduction in the daily intake of calories or the consumption of specific macro- or micronutrients. This type of restricted eating for short periods of time may be unsustainable over the long run," said Professor. Panda.

Professor. Sears confirmed this by saying in an interview with the MNT that "overall the time-restricted diet appears to be safe for the majority of people, not just those suffering from type 2 diabetes. ."

"Some patients report minor temporary side effects like lightheadedness or nausea. Due to the limited studies, self-reported compliance and the variety of regimens further research is required to evaluate these effects fully."

"People with conditions that impact metabolism -- for example, thyroid disorders, diabetes, and pregnancy -- should consult their healthcare provider before starting a regimen that includes fasting for longer than overnight," suggested Prof. Sears.

Future research

Professor. Panda explained to the MNT that scientists should conduct more research to better be aware of the advantages of having restricted time for the consumption of food for animals and humans.

"Most restricted eating studies were conducted on male mice in their early years. We need to extend these studies to include both genders as well as older mice."

"Many benefits of eating restricted in time point to changes in the molecular structure of multiple organs, yet we don't know the nature of those changes. Therefore, more in-depth molecular studies across multiple organs are required to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms of eating restrictions on time."

"Although time-restricted eating may appear easy to adopt, many find it difficult [...] So implementation research on finding personal, interpersonal, cultural, work-related, and societal barriers to adopting time-restricted eating [is] needed," Professor. Panda.

Professor. Sears Larger research, with more depth are required to better know how to best implement the diet that is time-restricted.

Professor. Sears explained that "randomized controlled trials that are large in sample size are essential to accurately assess different times of food intake and the related health effects. The majority of controlled randomized studies have been limited to very few people, and therefore, the results from these studies are not reliable."

"There are several large trials now funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense to test benefits of circadian-aligned food intake timing," Dr. Sears. "Results from these should be illuminating and provide more statistically robust interpretations to guide public health recommendations."