Diabetes affects around 422 million people worldwide, and leads to approximately 1.5 million deaths per year. While type 1 diabetes is caused by genetic factors, type 2 diabetes is caused by external factors and believed to be preventable. Now, results of a new study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, indicate intermittent fasting could play a major role in that prevention.
So, how can intermittent fasting help to prevent type 2 diabetes? And how can the food and beverage industry engage with this?
How can intermittent fasting prevent type 2 diabetes?
Researchers have discovered that restricting food intake to a 10-hour daily window improves important markers in a number of health issues, including metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions associated with heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
The study, carried out by researchers from University of California San Diego School of Medicine in collaboration with the Salk Institute, found that a form of intermittent fasting called time-restricted eating, could improve health of individuals with metabolic syndrome and prediabetes. Results demonstrated significant improvements in key markers of cardiometabolic health, including blood sugar and cholesterol.
"Our bodies actually process sugars and fats very differently depending on the time of day."
“Our bodies actually process sugars and fats very differently depending on the time of day,” said Dr Satchidananda Panda, co-corresponding author of the study and professor at the Salk Institute. “In time-restricted eating, we are re-engaging the body’s natural wisdom and harnessing its daily circadian rhythms to restore metabolism and improve health.”
Circadian rhythms are the 24-hour cycles of biological processes that affect nearly every cell in the body. The research team believes erratic eating patterns can disrupt this system and induce symptoms of metabolic syndrome, including increased abdominal fat and abnormal cholesterol or triglycerides.
Results also showed the time-restricted eating group was experienced a reduction in body weight, body mass index (BMI), and abdominal trunk fat, a type of fat closely linked to metabolic disease. Importantly, participants did not experience any significant loss of lean muscle mass, which is often a concern with weight loss.
The team believes the trial supports the case of time-restricted eating as a practical, low-cost intervention, to improve cardiometabolic health. However, they highlight that additional long-term studies are required to determine whether time-restricted eating can sustain these benefits and ultimately reduce the risk of chronic disease.
“There is an urgent need for more effective treatment options that are accessible, affordable, and sustainable,” said Dr Taub. “Our research demonstrates that lifestyle interventions, such as time-restricted eating, can have a meaningful impact on the trajectory of a person’s overall health.”
Types of intermittent fasting
- Time-restricted eating: This involves fasting every day for 12 hours or longer and eating in the remaining hours. A popular example is the 16:8 method, which includes a daily 16-hour fast and an 8-hour eating window.
- The 5:2 diet: This entails eating as normal 5 days of the week and then restricting calorie intake to 500–600 on the remaining 2 days.
- Eat Stop Eat: This requires a 24-hour fast once or twice a week.
- Alternate-day fasting: The goal for this diet is to fast every other day.
- The Warrior Diet: The aim of this diet is to eat small amounts of raw fruits and vegetables during the day and then eat one large meal at night.
How can food and beverage support intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a growing trend, with people such as the late Dr Michael Mosley, championing it.
“I was overweight, I had hypertension, I had high blood sugar, and I was told I was type 2 diabetic,” said Mosely. “I was introduced to the idea of intermittent fasting by a world-leading neuroscientist - I lost nine kilos, my blood sugar went back to normal, my blood cholesterol went down, my blood fats went down, and my blood pressure went down. And all of this contributed to turning my life around.”
"It matters what you eat as much as it matters when you eat."
However, Dr Mosely, was also quick to highlight that, “it matters what you eat as much as it matters when you eat,” and this is where the food and beverage industry comes in.
Brands have the opportunity to create meal plans for adopters of intermittent fasting, particularly those on the 5:2 diet, which involves careful calorie counting on the fasting days. There’s a great opportunity to develop new products, which provide the essential nutrients required, including protein and fibre.
“When you’re not fasting, it’s important to eat a healthy and varied diet that’s good for your body,” says Christina Vetter of gut health brand, Zoe. “High-quality sources of fibre and protein can help to feel fuller for longer.”
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic, metabolic disease, characterised by elevated levels of blood glucose (or blood sugar). This elevated blood sugar can, over time, lead to serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nervous system.
There are two types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2.
- Type 1 diabetes, once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin by itself.
- Type 2 diabetes is the more common form of diabetes and occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin or doesn't make enough insulin. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes has risen dramatically over the last three decades.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 422 million people worldwide have diabetes, with the majority living in low- and middle-income countries. Approximately 1.5 million deaths are directly attributed to diabetes each year.
Source: Time-Restricted Eating in Adults With Metabolic Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Published online: 1 October 2024
DOI: 10.7326/M24-0859
Authors: Emily N C Manoogian, PhD, Michael J Wilkinson, MD, Monica O’Neal, BS, et al.
