Fasting for 14 hours a day can increase energy and improve mood, a study revealed on Tuesday.
Scientists at King’s College London found that eating during a ten-hour window could have major health benefits, including better sleep and decreased hunger.
Intermittent fasting is already a popular weight loss regime, but there has been a lack of research demonstrating that it is more effective than traditional dieting. The King’s study is the largest trial to date to show that the method can have a positive health impact that extends beyond weight loss.
Advocates of intermittent fasting recommend limiting your daily eating window to ten hours and then fasting for the remaining 14 hours. For example, if you eat your first bite at 9am, you must eat your last bite by 7pm.
Researchers monitored more than 37,500 people for three weeks using the ZOE Health app. Participants were asked to eat as normal for the first week and then shift to a ten-hour eating window for two weeks.
Those who restricted their food intake to a ten-hour window reported major health benefits including improved energy levels, sleep and mood. Participants who waited longer to eat saw an even greater benefit to their health.
More than 36,231 participants opted for additional weeks and 27,371 users were classified as highly engaged.
Kate Bermingham PhD, from King’s College London and ZOE, said: “This study adds to the growing body of evidence showing the importance of how you eat. The health impact of food is not just what you eat but the time at which you choose to consume your meals, and eating window is an important dietary behaviour that can be beneficial for health.
“These findings show that we don’t need to be eating all the time. Many people will feel satiated and even lose weight if they restrict their food to a ten-hour window.”
Dr Sarah Barry, a nutrition scientist at King's and chief scientist at ZOE, said: “The findings show that you don’t have to be very restrictive to see positive results. A ten-hour eating window was manageable for most people and improved mood, energy levels and hunger. We found for the first time that those who practised time-restricted eating, but were not consistent day to day, did not have the same positive health effects as those who were dedicated every day.”
The team at King’s will present their findings on Tuesday at the European Nutrition Conference in Belgrade, Serbia.
