ClosePhoto:Dmytro Lastovych/Getty ImagesDid you know that more than 1 in 3 U.S. adults deals with metabolic syndrome?Metabolic syndrome is associated with various health risks, including high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, excess abdominal fat and high cholesterol. Collectively, these factors can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke andtype 2 diabetes.However, a recent study from the Salk Institute and the University of California, San Diego, offers hope, suggesting thatintermittent fasting—specifically, time-restricted eating—may be an effective strategy for boosting metabolic health. Here’s what you need to know about this promising research and what the findings could mean for your overall health.5 Sneaky Signs You May Have Metabolic Syndrome, According to ExpertsWhat the Study FoundThe study examined the effects of time-restricted eating on people with metabolic syndrome. Researchers analyzed data from 108 adults who were randomly assigned to either a time-restricted eating group or a control group. Both groups received standard-of-care treatments and nutritional counseling based on the Mediterranean diet.Members of the time-restricted eating group were allowed to eat during an 8- to 10-hour window daily. Their eating period began at least one hour after waking up and finished at least three hours before bed.“Our bodies actually process sugars and fats very differently depending on the time of day,” explainedSatchidananda Panda, Ph.D., a Salk professor and co-corresponding study author. “In time-restricted eating, we are reengaging the body’s natural wisdom and harnessing its daily rhythms to restore metabolism and improve health.”After three months, those who practiced time-restricted eating showed significant improvements in critical markers of cardiometabolic health. Blood sugar levels and cholesterol profiles improved, and hemoglobin A1C decreased, a critical indicator of long-term blood sugar control.Furthermore, participants in the time-restricted eating group experienced reductions in body weight, body mass index (BMI) and abdominal trunk fat that were 3% to 4% greater than those in the control group. Additionally, they did not experience significant losses in lean muscle mass—a common concern associated with weight loss.Body mass index(BMI) is a measure that’s often used in healthcare to determine a person’s body weight category such as overweight or obese, and therefore, chronic disease risk. However, it has limitations and does not account for individual factors that influence one’s health status, such as body composition, ethnicity, race, sex and age. This is why it shouldn’t be used as a comprehensive measure of someone’s health andcan be a source of body size stigma and bias.The study’s findings suggest that intermittent fasting could serve as a low-cost, practical intervention for improving metabolic health, particularly for those with metabolic syndrome.“Unlike expensive pharmaceuticals like Ozempic, which require lifetime use, time-restricted eating is a simple lifestyle change that doesn’t cause side effects and can be maintained indefinitely. Patients appreciate that they don’t have to changewhatthey eat, justwhenthey eat,” saidEmily Manoogian, the study’s first author and clinical researcher at the Salk Institute.While we agree that intermittent fasting can be an alternative to pharmaceuticals, making this change may not be simple for everyone. If possible, we recommend speaking with your health care provider or a registered dietitian to discuss potential changes to your eating habits and realistic ways to implement them.What You Need to Know about Intermittent Fasting for WomenThe Bottom LineWith metabolic syndrome on the rise, a new study published in theAnnals of Internal Medicinereveals the potential benefits of time-restricted eating for improving health outcomes for millions of Americans. Consuming your daily meals in an 8- to 10-hour eating window, along with not eating one hour after waking and three hours before sleeping, may significantly improve your metabolic health and reduce your chronic disease risk. If you’re considering these lifestyle changes to support your metabolic health, consult with a health care provider or registered dietitian to determine whether time-restricted eating is a healthy option for you.Intermittent Fasting: 10 Common MistakesWas this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmitSourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is metabolic syndrome?Swarup S, Ahmed I, Grigorova Y, et al.Metabolic syndrome. 2024. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL).: StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan.Manoogian ENC, Wilkinson MJ, O’Neal M, et al.Time-restricted eating in adults with metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.Ann Intern Med. 2024. doi:10.7326/M24-0859The Salk Institute.One in three Americans has a dysfunctional metabolism, but intermittent fasting could help.
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Photo:Dmytro Lastovych/Getty Images
Dmytro Lastovych/Getty Images
Did you know that more than 1 in 3 U.S. adults deals with metabolic syndrome?Metabolic syndrome is associated with various health risks, including high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, excess abdominal fat and high cholesterol. Collectively, these factors can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke andtype 2 diabetes.However, a recent study from the Salk Institute and the University of California, San Diego, offers hope, suggesting thatintermittent fasting—specifically, time-restricted eating—may be an effective strategy for boosting metabolic health. Here’s what you need to know about this promising research and what the findings could mean for your overall health.5 Sneaky Signs You May Have Metabolic Syndrome, According to ExpertsWhat the Study FoundThe study examined the effects of time-restricted eating on people with metabolic syndrome. Researchers analyzed data from 108 adults who were randomly assigned to either a time-restricted eating group or a control group. Both groups received standard-of-care treatments and nutritional counseling based on the Mediterranean diet.Members of the time-restricted eating group were allowed to eat during an 8- to 10-hour window daily. Their eating period began at least one hour after waking up and finished at least three hours before bed.“Our bodies actually process sugars and fats very differently depending on the time of day,” explainedSatchidananda Panda, Ph.D., a Salk professor and co-corresponding study author. “In time-restricted eating, we are reengaging the body’s natural wisdom and harnessing its daily rhythms to restore metabolism and improve health.”After three months, those who practiced time-restricted eating showed significant improvements in critical markers of cardiometabolic health. Blood sugar levels and cholesterol profiles improved, and hemoglobin A1C decreased, a critical indicator of long-term blood sugar control.Furthermore, participants in the time-restricted eating group experienced reductions in body weight, body mass index (BMI) and abdominal trunk fat that were 3% to 4% greater than those in the control group. Additionally, they did not experience significant losses in lean muscle mass—a common concern associated with weight loss.Body mass index(BMI) is a measure that’s often used in healthcare to determine a person’s body weight category such as overweight or obese, and therefore, chronic disease risk. However, it has limitations and does not account for individual factors that influence one’s health status, such as body composition, ethnicity, race, sex and age. This is why it shouldn’t be used as a comprehensive measure of someone’s health andcan be a source of body size stigma and bias.The study’s findings suggest that intermittent fasting could serve as a low-cost, practical intervention for improving metabolic health, particularly for those with metabolic syndrome.“Unlike expensive pharmaceuticals like Ozempic, which require lifetime use, time-restricted eating is a simple lifestyle change that doesn’t cause side effects and can be maintained indefinitely. Patients appreciate that they don’t have to changewhatthey eat, justwhenthey eat,” saidEmily Manoogian, the study’s first author and clinical researcher at the Salk Institute.While we agree that intermittent fasting can be an alternative to pharmaceuticals, making this change may not be simple for everyone. If possible, we recommend speaking with your health care provider or a registered dietitian to discuss potential changes to your eating habits and realistic ways to implement them.What You Need to Know about Intermittent Fasting for WomenThe Bottom LineWith metabolic syndrome on the rise, a new study published in theAnnals of Internal Medicinereveals the potential benefits of time-restricted eating for improving health outcomes for millions of Americans. Consuming your daily meals in an 8- to 10-hour eating window, along with not eating one hour after waking and three hours before sleeping, may significantly improve your metabolic health and reduce your chronic disease risk. If you’re considering these lifestyle changes to support your metabolic health, consult with a health care provider or registered dietitian to determine whether time-restricted eating is a healthy option for you.Intermittent Fasting: 10 Common MistakesWas this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmitSourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is metabolic syndrome?Swarup S, Ahmed I, Grigorova Y, et al.Metabolic syndrome. 2024. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL).: StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan.Manoogian ENC, Wilkinson MJ, O’Neal M, et al.Time-restricted eating in adults with metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.Ann Intern Med. 2024. doi:10.7326/M24-0859The Salk Institute.One in three Americans has a dysfunctional metabolism, but intermittent fasting could help.
Did you know that more than 1 in 3 U.S. adults deals with metabolic syndrome?Metabolic syndrome is associated with various health risks, including high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, excess abdominal fat and high cholesterol. Collectively, these factors can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke andtype 2 diabetes.However, a recent study from the Salk Institute and the University of California, San Diego, offers hope, suggesting thatintermittent fasting—specifically, time-restricted eating—may be an effective strategy for boosting metabolic health. Here’s what you need to know about this promising research and what the findings could mean for your overall health.5 Sneaky Signs You May Have Metabolic Syndrome, According to ExpertsWhat the Study FoundThe study examined the effects of time-restricted eating on people with metabolic syndrome. Researchers analyzed data from 108 adults who were randomly assigned to either a time-restricted eating group or a control group. Both groups received standard-of-care treatments and nutritional counseling based on the Mediterranean diet.Members of the time-restricted eating group were allowed to eat during an 8- to 10-hour window daily. Their eating period began at least one hour after waking up and finished at least three hours before bed.“Our bodies actually process sugars and fats very differently depending on the time of day,” explainedSatchidananda Panda, Ph.D., a Salk professor and co-corresponding study author. “In time-restricted eating, we are reengaging the body’s natural wisdom and harnessing its daily rhythms to restore metabolism and improve health.”After three months, those who practiced time-restricted eating showed significant improvements in critical markers of cardiometabolic health. Blood sugar levels and cholesterol profiles improved, and hemoglobin A1C decreased, a critical indicator of long-term blood sugar control.Furthermore, participants in the time-restricted eating group experienced reductions in body weight, body mass index (BMI) and abdominal trunk fat that were 3% to 4% greater than those in the control group. Additionally, they did not experience significant losses in lean muscle mass—a common concern associated with weight loss.Body mass index(BMI) is a measure that’s often used in healthcare to determine a person’s body weight category such as overweight or obese, and therefore, chronic disease risk. However, it has limitations and does not account for individual factors that influence one’s health status, such as body composition, ethnicity, race, sex and age. This is why it shouldn’t be used as a comprehensive measure of someone’s health andcan be a source of body size stigma and bias.The study’s findings suggest that intermittent fasting could serve as a low-cost, practical intervention for improving metabolic health, particularly for those with metabolic syndrome.“Unlike expensive pharmaceuticals like Ozempic, which require lifetime use, time-restricted eating is a simple lifestyle change that doesn’t cause side effects and can be maintained indefinitely. Patients appreciate that they don’t have to changewhatthey eat, justwhenthey eat,” saidEmily Manoogian, the study’s first author and clinical researcher at the Salk Institute.While we agree that intermittent fasting can be an alternative to pharmaceuticals, making this change may not be simple for everyone. If possible, we recommend speaking with your health care provider or a registered dietitian to discuss potential changes to your eating habits and realistic ways to implement them.What You Need to Know about Intermittent Fasting for WomenThe Bottom LineWith metabolic syndrome on the rise, a new study published in theAnnals of Internal Medicinereveals the potential benefits of time-restricted eating for improving health outcomes for millions of Americans. Consuming your daily meals in an 8- to 10-hour eating window, along with not eating one hour after waking and three hours before sleeping, may significantly improve your metabolic health and reduce your chronic disease risk. If you’re considering these lifestyle changes to support your metabolic health, consult with a health care provider or registered dietitian to determine whether time-restricted eating is a healthy option for you.Intermittent Fasting: 10 Common Mistakes
Did you know that more than 1 in 3 U.S. adults deals with metabolic syndrome?Metabolic syndrome is associated with various health risks, including high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, excess abdominal fat and high cholesterol. Collectively, these factors can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke andtype 2 diabetes.
However, a recent study from the Salk Institute and the University of California, San Diego, offers hope, suggesting thatintermittent fasting—specifically, time-restricted eating—may be an effective strategy for boosting metabolic health. Here’s what you need to know about this promising research and what the findings could mean for your overall health.
5 Sneaky Signs You May Have Metabolic Syndrome, According to Experts
What the Study Found
The study examined the effects of time-restricted eating on people with metabolic syndrome. Researchers analyzed data from 108 adults who were randomly assigned to either a time-restricted eating group or a control group. Both groups received standard-of-care treatments and nutritional counseling based on the Mediterranean diet.
Members of the time-restricted eating group were allowed to eat during an 8- to 10-hour window daily. Their eating period began at least one hour after waking up and finished at least three hours before bed.
“Our bodies actually process sugars and fats very differently depending on the time of day,” explainedSatchidananda Panda, Ph.D., a Salk professor and co-corresponding study author. “In time-restricted eating, we are reengaging the body’s natural wisdom and harnessing its daily rhythms to restore metabolism and improve health.”
After three months, those who practiced time-restricted eating showed significant improvements in critical markers of cardiometabolic health. Blood sugar levels and cholesterol profiles improved, and hemoglobin A1C decreased, a critical indicator of long-term blood sugar control.
Furthermore, participants in the time-restricted eating group experienced reductions in body weight, body mass index (BMI) and abdominal trunk fat that were 3% to 4% greater than those in the control group. Additionally, they did not experience significant losses in lean muscle mass—a common concern associated with weight loss.
Body mass index(BMI) is a measure that’s often used in healthcare to determine a person’s body weight category such as overweight or obese, and therefore, chronic disease risk. However, it has limitations and does not account for individual factors that influence one’s health status, such as body composition, ethnicity, race, sex and age. This is why it shouldn’t be used as a comprehensive measure of someone’s health andcan be a source of body size stigma and bias.
The study’s findings suggest that intermittent fasting could serve as a low-cost, practical intervention for improving metabolic health, particularly for those with metabolic syndrome.
“Unlike expensive pharmaceuticals like Ozempic, which require lifetime use, time-restricted eating is a simple lifestyle change that doesn’t cause side effects and can be maintained indefinitely. Patients appreciate that they don’t have to changewhatthey eat, justwhenthey eat,” saidEmily Manoogian, the study’s first author and clinical researcher at the Salk Institute.While we agree that intermittent fasting can be an alternative to pharmaceuticals, making this change may not be simple for everyone. If possible, we recommend speaking with your health care provider or a registered dietitian to discuss potential changes to your eating habits and realistic ways to implement them.
What You Need to Know about Intermittent Fasting for Women
The Bottom Line
With metabolic syndrome on the rise, a new study published in theAnnals of Internal Medicinereveals the potential benefits of time-restricted eating for improving health outcomes for millions of Americans. Consuming your daily meals in an 8- to 10-hour eating window, along with not eating one hour after waking and three hours before sleeping, may significantly improve your metabolic health and reduce your chronic disease risk. If you’re considering these lifestyle changes to support your metabolic health, consult with a health care provider or registered dietitian to determine whether time-restricted eating is a healthy option for you.
Intermittent Fasting: 10 Common Mistakes
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is metabolic syndrome?Swarup S, Ahmed I, Grigorova Y, et al.Metabolic syndrome. 2024. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL).: StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan.Manoogian ENC, Wilkinson MJ, O’Neal M, et al.Time-restricted eating in adults with metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.Ann Intern Med. 2024. doi:10.7326/M24-0859The Salk Institute.One in three Americans has a dysfunctional metabolism, but intermittent fasting could help.
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is metabolic syndrome?Swarup S, Ahmed I, Grigorova Y, et al.Metabolic syndrome. 2024. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL).: StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan.Manoogian ENC, Wilkinson MJ, O’Neal M, et al.Time-restricted eating in adults with metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.Ann Intern Med. 2024. doi:10.7326/M24-0859The Salk Institute.One in three Americans has a dysfunctional metabolism, but intermittent fasting could help.
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is metabolic syndrome?Swarup S, Ahmed I, Grigorova Y, et al.Metabolic syndrome. 2024. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL).: StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan.Manoogian ENC, Wilkinson MJ, O’Neal M, et al.Time-restricted eating in adults with metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.Ann Intern Med. 2024. doi:10.7326/M24-0859The Salk Institute.One in three Americans has a dysfunctional metabolism, but intermittent fasting could help.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is metabolic syndrome?
Swarup S, Ahmed I, Grigorova Y, et al.Metabolic syndrome. 2024. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL).: StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan.
Manoogian ENC, Wilkinson MJ, O’Neal M, et al.Time-restricted eating in adults with metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.Ann Intern Med. 2024. doi:10.7326/M24-0859
The Salk Institute.One in three Americans has a dysfunctional metabolism, but intermittent fasting could help.
