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Meal Timing
Lifestyle · Moderate evidence
Evidence
50
Impact
38
When meals are eaten during the day, and its effect on weight and metabolic markers, independent of what or how much is eaten.
- Studies
- 5
- RCTs
- 3
- Meta-analyses
- 1
Research summary
- A systematic review and meta-analysis in JAMA Network Open found meal timing is associated with anthropometric and metabolic outcomes independent of total caloric intake, and several randomized controlled trials support this directly: early time-restricted feeding improved 24-hour glucose levels and affected circadian and aging-related biomarkers in one trial, while a separate trial found prolonged, controlled daytime eating (versus delayed, evening-shifted eating) improved weight and metabolic markers even when calorie content was matched between groups.
- A trial combining intermittent fasting with early time-restricted eating found benefit for adults at risk of type 2 diabetes compared with standard calorie restriction.
- This is a genuinely active and relatively young research area with real randomized-trial support, though most trials are short-term (weeks to a few months) and use different specific protocols, so how meal timing should be optimized in practice is still being worked out.
Metabolic HealthWeight Management
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