Restricted Eating Hours May Slow Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

Introduction to Time-Restricted Eating

A recent pilot study has suggested that restricting mealtimes and avoiding food for a few hours before bed may help slow down cognitive decline in older adults. This approach involves limiting meals within a nine-hour window, typically from morning until early evening, with no eating four hours prior to bedtime. The study was conducted on 47 women who were living with overweight or obesity.

The research, presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition in Maryland, involved a small clinical trial run by Professor Sue Shapses from Rutgers University. The participants were encouraged to cut 500 calories from their daily diet over six months.Within this group, some women were advised to eat only within a nine-hour window, while the remaining participants spread their meals over about 12 hours. At the end of the trial, both groups experienced similar weight loss averaging around 7 kg (15 lbs). However, cognitive tests revealed some notable differences.

Those who confined their eating to the narrow window performed better than others on spatial planning and problem-solving tasks. There were also hints that they made fewer errors on memory and learning tests. Specifically, during a test of spatial planning, participants who ate within the nine-hour period showed an improvement compared to those who spread their meals over 12 hours.

While there were no significant differences observed in multitasking and reaction time measures between the two groups, the findings suggest that adjusting meal times could offer an additional strategy to protect against cognitive decline in older adults. Notably, these effects are described as modest but promising by Prof Shapses.

Expert Opinions and Future Research

Prof Wendy Hall from King's College London highlighted the potential benefits of time-restricted eating beyond weight management. She suggested that this approach could offer improvements in blood sugar control, vascular function, and reduced inflammation, all of which are linked to cognitive decline.

Hall noted that while the findings were promising, they are preliminary and require further peer-reviewed research to determine their clinical significance. 'Time-restricted eating is a plausible approach to supporting cognitive health in midlife and older adults with overweight,' she said, emphasizing the importance of considering both when and what we eat.

Shapses also pointed out that weight loss alone can help reduce cognitive decline, but there may be additional benefits for people who do not eat outside an eight-to-nine-hour window and stop eating four hours before going to sleep. Dementia is a significant public health issue, with nearly 2 million deaths globally each year.

While some risk factors are beyond our control, such as age and genetics, experts believe that up to half of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed through lifestyle changes. Obesity in middle age can increase the risk of dementia by 30%, underscoring the need for comprehensive approaches. Currently, in many countries including the UK and US, it is common to eat over a 14-hour period, leaving only 10 hours overnight without food.

Research points to clear health benefits from extending overnight fasting. A review published in January found that finishing eating before 7 pm was associated with significant improvements in body weight, BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, and markers of metabolic health.

Conclusion

The results of this study hint at promising potential for time-restricted eating in cognitive health. While more extensive studies are required to validate these findings, the modest yet significant improvements observed suggest that adjusting meal times could offer an additional strategy to protect against cognitive decline in older adults.

Source: The Guardian