Eating all meals within a 6-hour window in the morning and early afternoon for 4 days lowered average blood sugar levels and reduced spikes in blood sugar throughout the day in overweight people compared to eating over a 12-hour window.
Scientific Claim
Early time-restricted feeding (eating between 8:00 AM and 2:00 PM) for 4 days reduced mean 24-hour glucose levels by 4 mg/dl and glycemic excursions by 12 mg/dl in overweight adults compared to a control schedule of eating between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM.
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
definitive
Can make definitive causal claims
Assessment Explanation
This is a randomized controlled trial with direct measurement of glucose levels, which can establish causation for these specific short-term effects. The verb 'reduced' is appropriate for this study design.
Source Excerpt
“Relative to the control schedule, eTRF decreased mean 24-hour glucose levels by 4 ± 1 mg/dl (p = 0.0003) and glycemic excursions by 12 ± 3 mg/dl (p = 0.001).”
Evidence from Studies
Supporting Evidence (1)
This study was a randomized crossover trial with continuous glucose monitoring showing statistically significant reductions in both mean glucose and glycemic excursions during eTRF compared to control. The p-values indicate strong statistical significance.
Early Time-Restricted Feeding Improves 24-Hour Glucose Levels and Affects Markers of the Circadian Clock, Aging, and Autophagy in Humans