Results from a small clinical trial suggest that shortening meal times throughout the day may reduce the risk of dementia. This preliminary study of a weight loss program for overweight or obese older women showed that in addition to reducing caloric intake, women who restricted the range of food they ate throughout the day had modest improvements in cognitive function.
Losing weight alone can prevent some of the age-related cognitive decline, and these data suggest that stopping eating 4 hours before bedtime and reducing meal intake to 8 to 9 hours a day compared to the typical 12-hour daily eating window may have additional benefits. ”
Dr. Sue Shaps, RD, Rutgers University Professor, Rutgers-RWJ Medical Center, Study Principal Investigator
Shaps’ group will present its findings at NUTRITION 2026, the American Academy of Nutrition’s major annual meeting, to be held July 25-28 in National Harbor, Maryland, outside Washington, D.C.
Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are becoming more prevalent as we age, and women and people who are overweight or obese tend to be more likely to develop these diseases. Diet and other lifestyle factors are associated with dementia risk, but few studies have examined whether modifying these factors can reduce dementia risk.
The study involved 47 overweight or obese women between the ages of 50 and 79. All participants were advised to reduce their caloric intake by 500 calories per day. Twenty-six participants were asked to limit their eating time to less than nine hours per day, while the remaining participants maintained their usual eating time of about 12 hours per day. In the time-restricted eating group, participants typically only ate between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., and they ate an average of 8.2 hours a day, compared to 12.3 hours a day for those asked to maintain standard eating hours.
After six months, participants had lost about 15 pounds on average, which was about the same in both groups. Compared to participants who maintained a 12-hour eating window, those who consumed only 8 to 9 hours of food per day showed greater improvements in spatial planning and problem-solving tests at the end of the weight loss program. Additionally, while there was a trend toward fewer errors on memory and learning tests, there was no significant difference in performance on multitasking or reaction time tests.
“Time-restricted eating had a modest effect on improving spatial planning and problem-solving skills, and reducing errors associated with memory and learning,” Chapseth said. “These results suggest that the ability to remember information during daily tasks is improved and errors related to memory, attention, and problem solving are reduced. Shorter meal windows predicted greater improvements.”
The researchers said further studies are needed to confirm the results in a larger group of participants. They also plan to investigate mechanisms that may explain the potential benefits of time-restricted eating, including interactions between circadian rhythms, nutrient-sensing pathways, inflammation, and metabolic health.
sauce:
American Academy of Nutrition
