Which diet helps more with blood sugar and sticking to it?
OR19-08 Intermittent versus Time-Restricted or Continuous Calorie Restriction for the Management of Obesity with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
IER had higher adherence than TRE, even though TRE is often marketed as 'easier'.
Most health influencers claim time-restricted eating is the most sustainable fasting method, but this study shows 5:2 fasting was actually easier for people to follow.
Practical Takeaways
Try a 5:2 intermittent fasting plan (eat normally 5 days, restrict calories 2 days) to improve blood sugar and insulin sensitivity.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
IER had higher adherence than TRE, even though TRE is often marketed as 'easier'.
Most health influencers claim time-restricted eating is the most sustainable fasting method, but this study shows 5:2 fasting was actually easier for people to follow.
Practical Takeaways
Try a 5:2 intermittent fasting plan (eat normally 5 days, restrict calories 2 days) to improve blood sugar and insulin sensitivity.
Publication
Journal
Journal of the Endocrine Society
Year
2025
Authors
Haohao Zhang, Zhenghe Zhu, Bo Qiao, Wangting Li, Meng Wu
Related Content
Claims (6)
People with obesity and type 2 diabetes stick to intermittent fasting better than time-based eating windows — 85% stayed with it versus 78% — over four months, even though both plans cut the same amount of calories.
If you have early type 2 diabetes and obesity, cutting calories intermittently—like fasting some days—might lower your blood sugar more than other diet plans, by about 2.3 points on average in 4 months.
Eating fewer calories on some days (intermittent restriction) seems to make the body use insulin better—by a noticeable amount—than other dieting styles for people who are overweight and have type 2 diabetes.
If you have obesity and type 2 diabetes, cutting calories in cycles (like fasting some days) might lower your blood fat levels more than other diet plans over four months.
If you have obesity and type 2 diabetes, cutting calories in different ways—like fasting sometimes, eating only during certain hours, or eating less every day—can lower your blood sugar about the same amount over four months.