London: A recent study, considered the most extensive UK community research endeavor of its kind, reveals that confining meals within a 10-hour period yields significant health advantages, notably impacting mood, energy levels, and hunger, according to researchers from King's College London who presented their trial findings at the European Nutrition Conference.
Intermittent fasting (IF), a popular dietary approach involving restricted eating windows, has been widely embraced for weight management. The method, involving a ten-hour eating window followed by a 14-hour fasting period, involves consuming meals within a 10-hour timeframe, commencing, for instance, at 9 a.m. and concluding by 7 p.m.
Consistency within this eating schedule emerged as a crucial factor in reaping greater benefits compared to varying meal timings day by day. Despite intermittent fasting advocates often promoting shorter eating windows as brief as six hours, the study's abstract suggests that adhering to a less stringent ten-hour window displays notable health benefits, including mood enhancement, increased energy, and better appetite regulation.
Dr. Sarah Berry, a leading researcher at King's College London and chief scientist at ZOE, emphasized the significance of these real-world findings: "This study marks a substantial leap in demonstrating the health advantages of intermittent fasting beyond controlled clinical settings. The most exciting aspect is that achieving positive results doesn't necessitate extreme restrictions. A ten-hour eating window, manageable for most individuals, notably enhanced mood, energy levels, and hunger control. Notably, we discovered that inconsistent adherence to time-restricted eating failed to yield the same beneficial health effects as those observed in individuals dedicated to daily consistency."
During the core intervention period of three weeks, 37,545 individuals utilizing the ZOE Health app participated. The protocol entailed consuming meals as usual for the initial week, followed by a ten-hour eating window for the subsequent two weeks.
Moreover, out of these participants, over 36,231 extended their involvement, with 27,371 deemed highly engaged. This highly engaged group, comprising 78 percent females with an average age of 60 and a BMI of 25.6, showed notable health improvements. Notably, individuals with longer pre-intervention eating windows experienced even more pronounced health benefits.
Kate Bermingham, PhD, affiliated with King's College London and ZOE, highlighted the study's implications, stating, "This study contributes to the mounting evidence emphasizing the significance of meal timings. It underscores that the health impact of food isn't solely about what you eat but also when you consume it. Establishing an eating window emerges as a vital dietary behavior that can significantly benefit health. The findings strongly suggest that continuous eating isn't necessary, and many individuals can experience satiety and weight management benefits by restricting their food intake to a ten-hour window."
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