Jury Still Out on Time-Restricted Feeding for Weight Loss Some positive signs, but effects not as great as in animal studies

Early time-restricted feeding -- the idea of eating all of one's meals in the early part of the day, followed by a long fast in the evening -- did not affect total energy expenditure, a researcher said here. But a small randomized crossover study did find some positive signs of the potential metabolic impact of early time-restricted feeding compared with controls. Early-time restricted feeding was associated with both significant decreases in 24-hour respiratory quotient, indicating higher fat oxidation and increases in the thermic effect of food, reported Courtney Peterson, PhD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "I think time-restricted feeding does two beneficial things," said Peterson. "It increases metabolic flexibility, although it remains to be seen if it translates into improvements in metabolic health, and it keeps hunger levels more stable. But the effect sizes are much smaller in humans than in rodents." Protein oxidation and hunger swings were also significantly higher in the early time-restricted feeding group compared with controls. "We know that meal timing impacts the circadian system to at least some degree, and there is good evidence now that the circadian system influences all three of these aspects of health," she said in the interview. "I suspect that future applications would be to understand how meal timing influences blood sugar control, cardiovascular disease risk, and weight loss." these differences may be a function of the body's circadian system, where recent research has suggested that energy metabolism is higher in the morning than in the evening. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ObesityWeek/61264?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-11-07&eun=g721819d0r&pos=1