Time-restricted eating may improve cognitive abilities in older women, study finds

A small study suggests that when older women eat may affect some cognitive abilities, not just how much they eat. Participants who limited their daily eating to roughly eight or nine hours performed better on spatial planning and problem-solving tests than women who ate across about 12 hours.

The six-month trial included 47 overweight or obese women aged 50 to 79. All participants received guidance to cut their daily intake by 500 calories. Twenty-six were asked to finish all their food within nine hours, usually between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., while the others followed a more typical eating schedule.

The time-restricted group ate for an average of 8.2 hours a day. The comparison group ate over an average of 12.3 hours. After six months, both groups had lost about 15 pounds, with no meaningful difference in weight loss between them.

The women with the shorter eating window nevertheless performed significantly better on tests of spatial planning and problem-solving. They also tended to make fewer errors on memory and learning tests, although that difference did not reach statistical significance. The groups showed no significant differences in reaction time or multitasking.

The findings do not establish that time-restricted eating will improve cognition for everyone. The study was small and included only older women who were overweight or obese, so further research is needed to determine whether the results apply to other populations. Nephrologist Chiang Shou-shan, who discussed the study, said he has followed 16:8 fasting for six years and has been doing well.