10‑hour fasting helps diabetes
A new study found a 10‑hour time‑restricted eating window improves glucose control and supports weight loss in people with type 2 diabetes—concrete metabolic benefits, not just hype (ajmc.com). Public figures like Dr. Michael Mosley are also pushing earlier dinners as a simple move to lower diabetes and cholesterol risk, reinforcing the practical angle of time‑restricted eating (dailystar.co.uk).
The trial was a randomized, crossover study led by Patrick Schrauwen’s group at Maastricht University that enrolled 14 adults with type 2 diabetes (mean age 67.5 years, BMI 30.5 kg/m2, baseline HbA1c ~6.4%) who completed two 3‑week periods (10‑h TRE vs ≥14‑h control) separated by a ≥4‑week washout. (link.springer.com) Participants were instructed to finish eating by 6:00 pm during the TRE phase; documented eating windows averaged ~9.1 hours in TRE versus ~13.4 hours in control, and glucose was tracked with continuous glucose monitors set to measure every 15 minutes. (link.springer.com) The TRE phase produced lower 24‑hour glucose—driven mainly by lower nocturnal levels—and increased daily time spent in the normal glucose range from about 12.2 hours (control) to 15.1 hours (TRE). (diabetologia-journal.org) Despite instructions to maintain weight, participants lost a small but statistically significant mean of ~0.7 kg during TRE, while measures of hepatic glycogen (13C‑MRS) and hepatic/peripheral insulin sensitivity (two‑step hyperinsulinaemic–euglycaemic clamp) showed no measurable change. (diabetesonthenet.com) Authors flagged the study’s short duration (3 weeks), small sample (n=14) and older participant profile as limits on generalisability and called for longer, larger trials—several are already registered, including UCSD’s TRE‑T2D (NCT05365529) and Steno’s 1‑year RESET2 trial (NCT06152588). (link.springer.com)
