New research suggests that consuming all meals within an eight-to-nine-hour window each day could benefit brain health. This finding was presented at NUTRITION 2026, an annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held in National Harbor, Maryland.
The study showed participants who practiced time-restricted eating experienced cognitive improvements after six months. These participants lost a similar amount of weight as those on a typical eating schedule; however, cognitive benefits appeared specifically in the time-restricted group. Sue Shapses, a professor at Rutgers University and the study’s lead investigator, stated, “We are confident it is due to meal timing itself, because this was a randomized controlled trial and both groups lost weight (about 8 percent) but there was a greater cognitive benefit only in the group that also was restricting their eating window to 8 hours compared to the control group eating 12 hours.”
The research focused on women with overweight or obesity who were actively losing weight. Shapses cautioned that the findings might not apply to leaner individuals or those who are not dieting.
As Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia become more prevalent with an aging population, the study explored the potential of dietary changes to reduce dementia risk. Researchers enrolled 47 overweight or obese women aged 50 to 79. Participants were instructed to reduce their calorie intake by 500 calories daily as part of a weight-loss program.
Twenty-six women participated in a time-restricted eating plan, consuming food for less than nine hours per day. Their common eating window was between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., averaging 8.2 hours. The remaining participants had a more conventional schedule, eating over approximately 12 hours daily. After six months, women in both groups had lost around 15 pounds on average.
Despite similar weight loss, cognitive performance differed significantly between groups. Women limiting their eating to eight or nine hours excelled in spatial planning and problem-solving tests, compared to those with a 12-hour window. A trend toward fewer mistakes in memory and learning tasks also emerged, though statistical significance was not achieved.
The results suggest the more substantial the reduction in the eating window, the better the cognitive outcomes. Shapses noted the method’s flexibility, making it suitable for individuals unable to adhere to a strict schedule daily. She acknowledged that participants occasionally deviated from their eating schedules without adverse effects.
The research team emphasized that the study’s small size means findings are preliminary. Shapses announced, “At this point, we will continue our analysis and submit the full length manuscript for peer-review for publication.”
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