Eat beneficial in time for blood sugar, say experts

Nowadays, many people follow a restricted diet to lose weight. But did you know that it can also help you manage your blood sugar and keep your diabetes under control? Yes it is true! According to the results of a recent study, a limited consumption over time is beneficial for blood glucose. For the study, a team of researchers analyzed the effects of a diet restricted in time in 15 men for seven days. "Men, who are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, have limited their food intake to a nine-hour period a day," said Leonie Heilbronn, lead author of the study.

Each participant's blood glucose level was assessed during the seven days of the study. The researchers found that TRE monitoring improved their glucose levels, regardless of when participants chose to stop eating.

"Our results suggest that modulating when, rather than what we eat, can improve glucose control, we found minimal weight loss in this study, which may have contributed to the results," Heilbronn explained.

One of the researchers, Fred Rochler, himself followed the TRE diet, in which he maintained his normal diet, but only from 9:30 to 7:30 pm over a similar period of eight weeks.

"The restricted diet was initially difficult, but it quickly became easier to manage," said Rochler. "I only ate until 7:30 pm because I thought it worked well with my lifestyle. During the trial, I noticed a marked improvement in my tolerance to fasting glucose. one of the foods I love to eat, "said Rochler.

Time-restricted diet and blood glucose – What is the link?

Depending on the time restricted diet (TRE), one can appreciate foods that are generally perceived as being unhealthy for us; However, if these foods are eaten at the right time of the day, when our body is able to handle the nutrient load, it is acceptable. Plus, if we give our body more time to fast each night, our body will be able to withstand the load better, Heilbronn explained.

"Although these early results seem promising for glycemic control, a larger study over a longer period is needed to fully investigate the effectiveness of this time-restricted diet regimen," she said. Between 2000 and 2015, 306,201 new cases of type 2 diabetes treated with insulin were reported in Australia, an average of 19,000 new cases per year.