New research shows that eating early or eating within a 10-hour window may help you in maintaining your blood sugar or cholesterol level. It can also help you in weight loss. According to an associate professor of nutrition sciences, our body has an internal biological clock. This clock helps us to do different things at different times of the day. In most cases, the best time for your metabolism is mid-to-late morning.
A study shows that eating the same meal earlier in the day made people more hungry than eating it later in the day. Late eating also caused study participants to burn fewer calories. Their fat tissue appeared to store more calories on a later eating schedule than on an earlier one. Overall, the study suggests that eating later can raise a person’s risk of obesity.
The second study was conducted between some fighters. Researchers discovered that eating within a 10-hour window reduced the size of bad cholesterol particles. This potentially lowers the risk factors for heart disease. The 10-hour eating window also reduced blood pressure and blood sugar levels in people with high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.
The findings of the two new studies support previous findings that humans may have an optimal eating window based on the body’s circadian rhythms. It can regulate sleep and wake cycles and can affect appetite, metabolism, and blood sugar levels.
The 10-hour window, for example, appears to be a “sweet spot” for the body in the firefighter study, the authors discovered. More stringent restrictions, such as those found in many intermittent fasting diets, may be difficult for the body to maintain.
According to Satchidananda Panda, Ph.D. a Salk Institute professor, “When we think about 6 or 8 hours, you might see a benefit, but people might not stick to it for a long time.”
The new studies had small sample sizes, but they provide information for future research. In the first study, 16 overweight or obese people tried two different eating plans for 24 hours. Some of them started eating an hour after their natural wake-up time. While others waited until about 5 hours after waking up. They ate the same meals, which contained the same number of calories and nutrients.
Effect on Hormone
The researchers measured their hormone levels and discovered that eating later reduced leptin levels, which helps people feel full. Eating later also increased the likelihood that people would feel hungry throughout the day. Those who ate later in the day had more cravings for starchy or salty foods, as well as meat and dairy, which are high in energy.
Effect on Fat tissues
The researchers also discovered changes in fat tissue, which could lead to a higher likelihood of fat cell formation and a lower likelihood of fat burning. During the day, late eaters burned approximately 60 fewer calories than early eaters.
When you eat late in the day, your body processes calories differently. “It tips the scales in favor of weight and fat gain,” Peterson explained. “We can get pretty clear recommendations from this study that people shouldn’t skip breakfast.”
More studies
The second study followed 137 firefighters in San Diego, CA, for 12 weeks as they ate a Mediterranean diet. This diet is rich in fish, vegetables, fruit, and olive oil. 70 firefighters ate during a 10-hour window, while the rest ate during a longer window, usually around 13 hours. They tracked their blood sugar levels and logged their meals in an app.
Most firefighters in the 10-hour group ate between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. Time-restricted eating appeared to be associated with health benefits such as lower cholesterol levels and a lower risk of heart disease.
Time-restricted eating reduced blood pressure and blood sugar levels in firefighters who had risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure and high blood sugar.
According to the authors, the restricted window appears to allow the body to break down toxins and get rid of sodium and other things that can raise blood pressure and blood sugar.
“Organs get some rest from digesting food during fasting so they can divert their energy toward repairing cells,” Panda explained. Eating a light dinner early in the evening improves sleep, digestion, and metabolism. Most health issues can be resolved quickly if we start eating dinner earlier.