Results from a small clinical trial suggest it may be possible to reduce your risk of dementia by eating during fewer hours of the day. The pilot study, which involved a weight-loss program for older women with overweight or obesity, showed modest cognitive improvements in those who limited their daily eating window instead of just reducing their calorie intake.<\/p>\n
Losing weight alone will ward off some of the aging-related cognitive decline, and these data suggest that there may be additional benefits if you stop eating 4 hours prior to going to sleep and reduce food intake to 8-9 hours per day, compared to the usual eating window of 12 hours per day.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sue Shapses, PhD, RD, DFASN, Professor, Rutgers University and Rutgers-RWJ Medical Center, study’s Principal Investigator<\/p>\n
Shapses’ group will present the findings at NUTRITION 2026, the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, held July 25\u201328 in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n
Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia have become more prevalent as populations age, and women and people who are overweight or obese tend to face a higher likelihood of developing these conditions. Diet and other lifestyle factors have been linked to dementia risk, but few studies have examined whether modifying these factors can reduce that risk.<\/p>\n
The trial enrolled 47 women aged 50-79 who were overweight or obese. All participants were counseled to reduce their calorie intake by 500 calories per day. Twenty-six participants were asked to restrict their eating to a window of less than 9 hours per day, while the rest maintained a typical eating window of about 12 hours per day. In the time-restricted eating group, participants generally ate only between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., with an average daily eating window of 8.2 hours, compared to 12.3 hours per day on average among those asked to maintain the standard eating window.<\/p>\n
After six months, participants had lost about 15 pounds, on average, which was about the same in both groups. Compared with participants who maintained a 12-hour eating window, those who consumed food for only 8-9 hours per day had significant improvements on spatial planning and problem-solving tests at the end of the weight-loss program. They also showed a trend toward fewer errors on memory and learning tests, but there was no significant difference in performance on multitasking or reaction time tests.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“There was a modest effect of time-restricted eating to improve spatial planning and problem-solving and on reducing errors related to memory and learning,” said Shapses. “These outcomes suggest a better ability to remember information during everyday tasks and reducing mistakes related to memory, attention and problem-solving. Reductions in the eating window predicted greater improvements.”<\/p>\n
The researchers said that further studies would be needed to confirm the findings in a larger group of participants. They also plan to investigate mechanisms that might explain the possible benefits of time-restricted eating, such as the interactions between circadian rhythm, nutrient-sensing pathways, inflammation<\/a> and metabolic health.<\/p>\n Source:<\/p>\n