There’s a lot of arguing over whether or not intermittent fasting is healthy or if it can help weight loss. The jury is still out. It’s always important to recognize that no diet is universally healthy. Each individual’s needs are different. You should always speak to your doctor before trying a new diet because there could be a reason you shouldn’t try it.

We have written about how eating late at night can cause blood sugar spikes. On the other end of the spectrum, we have written about how eating early in the day may help weight. Moreover, some science and common sense has always been behind intermittent fasting.

New research backs intermittent fasting for one group of people. Folks with blood sugar concerns may have good reason to only eat during the day. A small study found that people with blood sugar concerns who only ate for 10 hours a day had better blood sugar.

The study was limited, with only 14 subjects. But the results were noticeable. For six weeks, people in the study ate their normal diet for 10 or 14 hours. Following the time-restricted eating (TRE) protocol helped people.

The researchers wrote, “A daytime 10-hour TRE regimen for three weeks decreases glucose levels and prolongs the time spent in the normal blood sugar range in adults with [blood sugar concerns] as compared with spreading daily food intake over at least 14 hours. These data highlight the potential benefit of TRE.”

“In Western society, most people tend to spread their daily food intake over a minimum of 14 hours likely resulting in the absence of a true, nocturnal fasted state. Restricting food intake to a predefined time window (typically less than 12 hours)… restores the cycle of daytime eating and prolonged fasting during the evening and night,” the study authors wrote.

“This adds to emerging evidence that going for longer periods without eating, known as time-restricted eating, may benefit some people with certain metabolic health conditions,” said Dr. Lucy Chambers, an expert on blood sugar health. “We look forward to larger and longer-term clinical trials to understand whether this style of eating can help people manage their [blood sugar concerns] over the longer term, and identify those who might benefit most. This evidence is needed to be able to make recommendations about time-restricted eating as an add-on strategy.”

We love to hear about methods to add health that can go hand in hand with medication. Medication plays an essential role in health. However, lifestyle and diet are crucial. Managing blood sugar naturally with behavioral changes is preferable for many people. And, for some people, medication alone simply isn’t enough. The fact that the people in the study had their blood sugar in the normal range just by controlling their eating is wonderful.

Doctors will doubtlessly argue over the efficacy of intermittent fasting for weight loss for years to come. No diet fits every person. However, it might be just the ticket for people with blood sugar concerns. So, speak to your doctor about how TRE could help you; it might be the gentlest step you can take to aid your blood sugar health.

Banner image: Jonathan Ybema via Unsplash