Time-Restricted Eating: Effects on Body Weight, Fat Mass, Visceral Fat, and Liver Fat

[@enicnarflefebvre1]

I am a 71 years old woman and a retired nurse. I have been doing TRE (16-8) for seven years now in addition to eating low carb. At first, it was keto but I am now more low carb because it’s easier. I was slightly overweight before and I lost 22 pounds that I never regained. I am active, I walk a lot and I am doing resistance training with bands, core training and stretching twice a week. Also, I eat about 100 grams of protein every day. My health is very good and all my blood tests are excellent, so I must be doing the right things.

[@45876]

TRE works for me because my appetite opens up if I eat breakfast. Skipping breakfast helps to control my hunger for the entire day.

[@dragonmummy1]

Exactly the same for me.

[@bmpwe]

Same here. A good breakfast makes me wanna eat all day.

[@mooreandless]

Ditto. It sets me up to over indulge thru the day.

[@donerkebabe4745]

Does this depend upon what you eat for breakfast? For example, would a breakfast higher in protein & healthy fats/complex carbs help to keep you feeling satisfied for longer than a bowl of sugared cornflakes and a large glass of orange juice? For me this makes a world of difference.

[@bmpwe]

@@donerkebabe4745yes, a single egg or a sausage is way better than fruit or carbs.

[@pablohernandezf]

Very good explanation. I've been on a 20-4 TRE for almost three years and been able to maintain a satisfactory BMI of 23 (I'm 75 years old). Thanks.

[@nourishedbyscience]

Congratulations, and thank you for sharing!

[@ReinForce007879]

Similar to yours. 20-4 for almost 2 years. Reduce the BMI from 24 to 20. I eat as much as I want mainly whole food but I do pay attention to my protein intake.

[@tapiomakinen]

When I started to watch this video, I had an extensive, mental list of questions to ask you in this comment. I have none left, though. You answered them all. Thus, my conclusion is: well done!

[@TorBoy9]

TRE has benefits for those of us that are insulin resistant. When our fasting window is longer our blood glucose can be used up and the body can then adapt to burning ketones instead. We therefore can become more metabolically flexible: either glucose or ketones. I also feel that TRE allows me to function with more clarity in the morning. Thank you for the topic.

[@jordanjoestar-turniptruck]

After drowning in all the pseudoscience out there, its so refreshing to see a simple overview of the science and the impressive work needed to conduct a quality study. Fasting is simply just another tool at our disposal that may or may not be right for the job. Im starting this attempt of weight loss with TRE. I'm at 17:7 during weekdays and taking breaks on the weekends. Working towards eventual OMAD during the week. Normal eating window just has me constantly grazing and the post-lunch slump is brutal. And I am terrible at cooking so its much easier to plan for 5 dinners during the work week instead of 15, plus fewer temptations to eat out. Lots of tea and a cup of black coffee are enough to curb the hunger, but I definitely had to ease into it. I'm hoping that once im into OMAD, it will make things a lot more simple to start fine-tuning my nutrition

[@monicapoole2115]

Thank you for covering this topic. I always look forward to your programs. You are one of the few doctors who I trust to present a topic in a non biased basis.

[@littlevoice_11]

Part 2 suggestion... Tre on sleep and insulin resistance. Part 3 suggestion... Tre to support conventional cancer treatments (theres some research indicating a fast can enhance chemo and reduce side effects)

[@ramonal2205]

I lost 24 lbs in three months with varying tre times 16/8, 17/7 18/6 and sometimes a 24 and one 36 hour fast, over a year later i have kept it off and reduced my A1C from 6.2 to 5.6. Biggest thing this did for me is reduced hunger and I didn't count calories, just tried to eat less carbs and eat whole foods in my eating window. I continue to monitor weight and adjust fasting as needed and have about one day a week that is a cheat day. I find if i go on vacation and gain six pounds i can lose it quickly with TRE Thanks for your videos very instructive

[@edi8333]

How long did it take you to get your A1C from 6.2 to 5.6?

[@ramonal2205]

@@edi8333 Three months and have kept it there for the last year

[@gsp0819kri]

I followed Mario's advice by sticking to a diet that's the most sustainable to me. I do TRE focusing on WFPB, but I do allow myself some chicken and fish occasionally. I also do not shun canola oil because of science based facts that it's actually not bad for you. I stay away from saturated fats as much as I can, almost no refined sugar, and I limit my portions on my plate because I am trying to lose visceral fat. I exercise everyday now. Active recovery and post dinner exercise is a 30-minute brisk walking. Once my target weight is reached, I will adjust accordingly.

[@curlyb4c95]

WFPB?

[@gsp0819kri]

@@curlyb4c95 whole foods plant based.

[@gsp0819kri]

@@curlyb4c95 whole foods plant based.

[@playpianotoday6223]

@@curlyb4c95whole food plant based

[@gsp0819kri]

@@playpianotoday6223 I replied, but it's not showing 😕

[@raraavis7782]

Thanks for the thorough summation and analysis! I jumped on the intermittent fasting train a couple years ago and pretty effortlessly stuck with it. I just lost any desire to eat in the morning, after a while. No appetite at all anymore. Although I partly made up for it by eating larger portions later in the day. And that and the fact, that I didn't loose weight, made me think it wasn't really working for me. So I jumped ship and just ate 'whatever/whenever' for a while. Ended up gaining 15 pounds in maybe 6-8 months 😭. And that's despite being very physically active. So yeah, it did work. In the sense, that it apparently at least stopped my middle aged ass from gaining weight. I'm back to time restricted eating and low carb now.

[@stephenpederson7471]

ANY diet will reach a point at which you don't lose weight anymore. It's called plateauing and can occur several times during the weight loss journey. The plateau is reached when you are consuming the same number of calories as you use. That's where exercise is critical. Being physically active can mean a LOT of different things. To break a plateau you have to get your body to burn more calories. The only way to do that is by creating more lean muscle mass through exercise. This means you have to work and even build some muscle through your exercise because muscle burns more calories. Resistance exercise can help a little but the key to continuing to lose the weight is mixing aerobic and anerobic exercises. Doing something a MINIMUM of 30-minutes 5 or 6 days a week. (building muscles do need occasional days of rest). Running is ideal but I found fast walking was nearly as effective. NOT casual walking. The exercise needs to get your heart rate up and stay there. I walk at a four mile an hour pace now and go three miles. I was doing faster (5 miles in an hour) but the movement of my shoulders started causing a nerve pinching (from an old injury).

[@raraavis7782]

@@stephenpederson7471 Ah, I love it, when people are so overe ager to lecture others, they don't even properly read what they wrote. Dude. I quite clearly stated, that 'I never lost any weight'. So no, I didn't 'plateau'. I just ate at maintenance - unlike a lot of people, who experience a degree of appetite reduction, that makes them lose weight without the need of counting calories. That's kinda the point, why most people chose to try this. Because obviously you can lose weight with any 'diet' that keeps you in a caloric deficit, if you can manage to actually stick to it. I also quite clearly stated, that I'm very ok physically active. So yeah, thanks for explaining a bunch of widely known and very obvious facts to me. Mansplaining at its finest, but I'm sure you meant well 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@stephenpederson7471]

@@raraavis7782 it’s unfortunate that your self image is such that you take anyone trying to help as a lecture…did you ever think comments to one are frequently read by others and it may help. I also spoke of many other factors before mentioning plateauing. Sorry for your effort.

[@marcoantoniosundfelddagama7690]

Brilliant as usual, Dr. Kratz! it is always worth taking some time to watch your videos. Congrats!

[@NanWellins]

Agree with his observation that the main benefit of TRE is just plain old EATING LESS. No 10 pm snacks of chips and salsa or crackers/cheese, plus a bit more exercise, have led to a 10 lb drop in 2 months w/o a lot of overt self-denial. I fast 7 pm - 10 am. Most days I'm having 2 meals, maybe a small snack, and fewer carbs overall without going crazy (keto/paleo). I will never give up pasta and polenta - just have LESS!

[@ElizabethTai]

Your videos are so informative! Thank you for helping us understand these matters in a simpler way.

[@TheWkn12]

You're doing wonderful work 👏

[@Bettina-t1g]

Brilliantly done - thanks so much! Warm greetings from Bavaria.

[@hamakua484]

Excellent! One small point. When one loses 25 pounds the body will adjust the lean body mass to an appropriate level to carry 25 less pounds around all day. If you regain the lost lean mass with exercise, your new lean mass ratio for your new weight will be an improvement. Thanks for all your time and effort in producing these educational videos.

[@markotrieste]

If I think that I've lost about 15 kg... I can't think of now walking running cycling the whole day with a bullet-proof jacket on my body. Of course I've lost some muscle mass! It simply require less effort now to move. But in relative terms, i have more % of lean mass now than I had before, and this is the appropriate metrics. But hey, if you are a nutritionist that is losing customers because they are getting healthy by simply skipping some meals without fuss, anything that sounds scary will work. "IF makes you lose muscle!" 😂

[@janlipkowski3750]

Love it, excellent video, thank you! I think TRE helps my immune system as well

[@chewiewins]

My own summary 1. Yes it does help lose weight 2. Best is more fat is lost, not lean muscle mass (may even gain lean mass!). Exercise regularly and keep protein intake high 3. In regards to visceral and liver fat, TRE does not reduce this more than general fat loss. (But they do overall reduce if overall body weight lost). 4. Best form? Duration of eating window matters less than significantly reduce from current. Early (skip dinner) Vs Late (skip breakfast) no significant differences.

[@hamakua484]

I lost about 40 pounds on TRE while improving my diet. More importantly, I am continuing for weight control and to give the gut biome a solid rest period each day.

[@AudreyM2023-yo1fb]

Great comprehensive video. Thank you. I have been doing TRE for over 6 months. I’ve effortlessly lost over 10 pounds. I eat anything that I want and for the most part, I eat as much as I want - I eat until full, but usually not until stuffed though I do overeat on occasion. My typical routine is 20/4. I usually start eating around 10 a.m. and stop no later than 3 p.m. I believe that this works well for me because it eliminates miscellaneous eating such as snacking which I don’t do now. But I know that my calorie intake has not been reduced by much. I’m really happy with this routine and plan to do it for life.

[@nourishedbyscience]

Thanks for sharing, and congrats on finding something that works well for you. How often do you deviate from the 4h TRE, for example for social reasons or holidays or such? The research would suggest that we can reap the main benefits as long as we maintain adherence at least 5-6 days per week. Have you found that? Best, Mario

[@AudreyM2023-yo1fb]

@@nourishedbyscience Thank you. I would say that the research is on the mark. I probably do deviate- on average 1 day a week. It depends on my hunger level. I find that usually one day a week, I have difficulty sticking with the 4 hour eating window. On those days I usually eat whatever I’m craving. But this is usually after a few hours of not eating when I feel distracted by hunger. I’m normally not hungry outside of my eating window. I don’t vary my eating window during special occasions. I typically find it easy to adhere to the schedule.

[@karolina8367]

TRE is not for me, but it was interesting to lear more about it, thank you!

[@fatfrreddy1414]

surely it matters WHAT you are eating...also..losing weight isn't my aim,but to control bood sugar...etc..

[@johnhollar6001]

Best coverage and explanation of this subject I' ve seen. I've followed tre (16/8) for five yrs. It is a worst an easy way to control my weight when I use it with a wfpb diet.I've gotten over diabetes and statins using tre and wfpb diet. My blood pressure continues to be slightly higher than optimal.

[@Marcus-uc4qx]

Thank you for your content. Your summary at the end of your videos are much appreciated.

[@samuellaysico541]

Thanks Dr. Mario for a very informative videos regarding TRE. As a shift worker, its very hard to follow TRE. What I do is trying longer time between my meals and follow lower carb diet and I maintain my weight. Doing some exercises now to regain my lean mass.

[@MacksCurley]

Thanks for the structured information, very informative. Looking forward to the insulin resistance video.

[@littlevoice_11]

I think changes in muscle mass to fat ratio would be interesting. Also the impact on mental health, cognition etc

[@vera_6779]

Another insightful video, thank you! I have heard a lot of TRE being important for hormone health / balancing hormones in elderly (55+) females. Have this been covered, or could you perhaps consider addressing it in an upcoming video? I find it extra interesting that there is less than expected difference between TRE and non-time-restrictive eating, and that for major results in fat loss and increased liver health it is more important to restrict calories. And a little confused that most comments praise TRE despite these conclusions. Personally I have lost 60+ lbs on restricting calories (a small daily calorie reduction with the occasional larger calorie intake) alone. I will try adding a small TRE to see what happens.

[@TheSecdroid]

Very thorough and unbiased explanation. Actionable suggestions.

[@Djangoat68]

Thank you for this very well explained video !

[@tinybarabo]

That ball shape mouse at 4:40 made me burst out in laughter! 🤭 Otherwise thank you for the video Mario! It’s super interesting!

[@raraavis7782]

I've always wondered why fat animals are almost universally appealing (as in 'cute') to us, whereas fat humans are at best something we 'tolerate'. It can't be about health concerns, as fat animals often get sick very quickly and also die prematurely. With a few exceptions like hippos and whales, obviously. Why don't those get high blood pressure and diabetes, btw? Why is a fat mouse adorable and a fat human isn't?

[@JesusChrist2000BC]

​​@raraavis7782 a lot of people, especially women still do consider fat men or women as being cute etcetera. However, being cute is not seen as attractive especially for adults it's something more for kids or for babies or something like that or as you said animals. One thing I realized back in college was a woman calling you cute was not a compliment generally meant that you were seen as either her brother or someone she was not interested in dating you. Pay attention to the words people use they actually matter.

[@nicholasfpratt]

Beginning with the first study mentioned, it seems that 12/12 TRE is sufficient to cause significant weight loss and that shortening the eating window beyond that doesn't cause substantial additional benefits. This theme is born out in the relevant subsequent study/control result differentials. The control eating window should have been longer, with people eating for 15+ hours to compare the two models adequately.

[@ZeeGeeSims]

Really look forward to the research on TRE and insulin resistance.

[@jbfrodsham]

This channel is excellent.

[@bmpwe]

I just found your channel and live your content. Thank you so much for producing this types of videos.

[@swateebapat9663]

I am eagerly waiting for the next video!

[@living4christ]

They didn't bother having insulin resistant subjects in the study to see how it effects blood sugar and fasting insulin levels.

[@nourishedbyscience]

As I mention in the video, this was covered in a separate video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYaziXRph7uFZpIsi=FTwQKMoc-XyJUyOB

[@HolisticHealthEducation]

What an enlightening video. It’s something that everyone can learn and benefit from. Just disappointing that TRE doesn’t increase visceral fat loss disproportionately. 😊

[@peterbedford2610]

Eating 16:8 really helped me reduce weight and maintain lower body fat. I've been on this for 7 years

[@mplt6151]

Thank you very much for this excellent article

[@x-pilot6180]

One important point is missing: It is easier to stick to time restricted eating than to reduce calories!

[@nourishedbyscience]

Yes, agree. Thought I said that somewhere, but maybe I forgot ...!?

[@alexanitebabo2970]

Thank you once again for the video and the effort you put into its creation. I would appreciate hearing your thoughts on the carnivore diet, if possible.

[@rabokarabekian409]

I find it a bit easier to watch calories twice a day than three times a day. Also, as a metabolic syndrome type 2 diabetic with dawn effect glucose rise, eating breakfast helps clamp that rise. Having breakfast puts me in a better mood than waiting for lunch. Just me personally.

[@nourishedbyscience]

And it's absolutely a great idea to find your own approach that works for you long term. I strongly believe that any diet or lifestyle habit, no matter how great it is, will not benefit us if we cannot maintain it (happily) over the long term.

[@alexm7310]

I eat one meal/d at ~16:00. It suits me, it's effortless & it's developed slowly over the years. I also don't stress about it. My sleep is good too. I didn't do it to lose weight (my weight is okay), but I secretly hope it'll hold back the onset of any chronic diseases. I'm of the age when they invariably start (to show, that is)! Thanks Mario, excellent as always ❤

[@nourishedbyscience]

That's great if you found something that works for you and that you can maintain. You probably know this, but the three things I would make sure I get is a high protein intake, a high micronutrient density, and regular resistance or high-intensity interval training. I do think the risks with OMAD are potential issues with meeting micronutrient needs (absorption is lower for some micronutrients if all are consumed in one meal than when spread out over the day) and a loss of muscle mass due to the long fasting window. Other than that, this way of eating basically makes it impossible to overeat and suffer from the consequences of energy toxicity, which is the biggest issue for most people. Cheers Mario

[@alexm7310]

@@nourishedbyscience thanks Mario, thought-provoking as usual! I hope the micronutrient box is ticked with nuts & seeds; I'm so conflicted about protein; I understand sarcopenia & the need for adequacy (with RE), but am possibly (disproportionately?) influenced by the IGF-1 argument; e.g. Levine et al., 2014

[@nourishedbyscience]

@@alexm7310 Ah, I'll give you my perspective: losing muscle mass as we age is a KNOWN and MAJOR factor that affects our health, wellbeing, and risk of chronic disease. The potential impact of protein on cancer risk is in my opinion, a HYPOTHESIS that is mostly based on indirect evidence from animal experiments and some observational human data. This is, of course, a major discussion, and we could debate many observational study data, but here I am just sharing that on balance, I see higher protein intakes as associated with lower chronic disease risks. However, if you are uncertain, I would at least suggest you consider staying away from the very low end of protein intake (

[@2009raindrop]

Very valuable information - thank you! I did not understand what you meant around 22:43 when you said something like "see how the 95% confidence interval does not include zero". I am really looking forward to the next one about effect TRE might have on metabolic health.

[@nourishedbyscience]

If you'd like to understand what the 95% confidence interval tells us, I suggest you watch this video about one of the TRE trials in which I explain this in detail: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3u0gaOIqL9kr7csi=cpbErEF_WSDLRkEc Cheers Mario

[@2009raindrop]

@@nourishedbyscience Thank you so much for your reply - I had watched that video just a day earlier and after re-watching it (and poking around the web for info on "confidence interval") I concluded that what this old brain really needs is a refresher class in statistics!

[@PardieDiem]

Wouldn't the type of foods they ate make a big difference in the outcomes?

[@kimmathis1945]

Yes!

[@homomorphic]

Ive been 18/6 for coming up on 2 years now. I can totally confirm that it is difficult to consume 2200kcal (my BMR) in 6 hours if one is a vegetarian. For example, 4 eggs is only 300kcal, a granny smith apple is only 97kcal. For me nuts and seeds are super important because of their high energy density. I eat about 100g of mixed raw nuts and seeds (pecans/macadamia/walnuts/sunflower/pumpkin) for 600kcal. I have to weigh every two days just to make sure I am not losing weight.

[@alexandremiguelbastos6176]

Great video ! Thanks !

[@donerkebabe4745]

I love your clear, succinct explanation of appropriate interpretations of these data, thank you. However, I would also be extremely interested to learn how this varies across age ranges and between male/female results. I’ve read elsewhere that changes in the efficiency of protein synthesis throughout the day in older adults may mean that following a TRE regimen could lead to loss of lean mass in older adults, due to insufficient protein, as older adults seem to need to spread their protein intake over several meals (a “little and often” approach), rather than concentrating it into one or two meals. I’ve also read that the menstrual cycle, menopause and other female hormonal fluctuations influence the impact of TRE and it’s outcomes. So I’d love to hear your take on these two factors in future videos, please, perhaps with relevant data and f you can find reputable studies. The more detail that’s available, the better your audience will be able to act on the most suitable eating patterns, in a way that is correct for their specific demographic, right? Thank you for your continued great work.

[@nourishedbyscience]

Great questions. I do think the concern that TRE could lead to a loss of lean mass is valid, and because older age is a risk factor for muscle loss as well, your question is well taken. For the video, I reviewed 40+ RCTs. These were conducted in a wide range of ages, and I could not detect anything in the data that the impact of TRE on weight loss or a relative loss of fat vs. muscle mass was different in older people. Still, my suggestion would be to (a) use a milder form of TRE, i.e. 8- or 10-h TRE rather than, say, one-meal-a-day; and (b) keep protein intake at all meals reasonably high. That is not to suggest that everyone needs very high protein intakes, but simply to emphasize that there are likely benefits for long-term muscle mass as well as body weight/satiety and also blood sugar regulation if we minimize meals with a very low protein intake. Personally, I would aim to get at around 15% of calories from protein or more at every meal. As to whether there is an interaction between TRE and menopause, I do not know, as I am not aware of a study that has looked into that specifically. I wouldn't think so though. Of course, menopause does affect body weight and composition, but that is not to say that it would make muscle mass loss more likely on TRE. Best, Mario

[@donerkebabe4745]

Many thanks for your considered & helpful response. Please keep doing what you do so well! Thanks!

[@felipearbustopotd]

OMAD - from my understanding it means eating all your kcals in a 1 hour window not 4 hours. 4 hours is time restricted eating. I did OMAD with the odd 36 / 42 hour fast and that resulted in 39 lbs / 18 kgs total body weight loss. Not kidding myself it was all fat. One distinction I make, and I am led to believe is not followed by the researchers is, starting the fasting clock once 5 hours has pasted. It takes this amount of time ( apx ) to fully empty the stomach - so if the stomach is digesting how is it possible to be in a fasted state? Example. My last meal was all eaten by 1700 + 5 hours, so I would start my fasting clock at 2300. If I wanted 12 hours of what I would deem a true fast, my next intake would be 1100. The general consensus is fasting would be calculated from ( example ) 1700 to 0700 giving a 'so -called' fasting window of 14 hours. But what about the time the food is still being digested - again, how is that deemed being in a fasted state? *** I find it easier to prolong the fast by not eating my first meal till mid pm. If I eat earlier - this for me opens the flood gates to eat more. Akin to opening up the sluice gates and allowing what is being held back to rush forward. By eating this late in the day and knowing it takes 5 hours for the stomach to fully empty negates the need to eat again. Unless you are a night owl - bed is soon on the agenda and for me there is nothing worse than laying down with a stomach churning with food. *** Each to their own 😀

[@azdhan]

Many thanks for sharing

[@woofinu]

What do you recommend as the success metrics of TRE? Most people don't have an easy way to measure fat accurately. Is body weight good enough?

[@nourishedbyscience]

Good question, because that's a tricky one. Maybe weight together with waist circumference to see if you are weight where it matters the most, in our abdominal area? Best would certainly be to combine TRE with at least occasional resistance or high-intensity interval training, and to keep protein intake at all meals consistently high (as a rough estimate, >15% of energy at each meal, or at least >25g for women or >30/35g for men per meal). Best, Mario

[@markotrieste]

I'd suggest the ratio between waist circumference and height, it should be less than 0.5 (for men, I don't remember for women)

[@woofinu]

@@nourishedbyscience Thank you. I have not noticed any significant changes, including in weight or waist circumference (judging by belt tightening or loosening), although weight reduction is not my goal. I don't track closely but I think I have not changed what or how much I eat. I just changed from 3 meals to 2, and reduced the eating window from about 15 to 11 hours (but I eat more per meal).

[@jamesmorton5017]

I have noticed that my morning glucose is at 100 so I do not get hungry until mid day. I eat a large meal with protein and vegetables which raises my blood sugar to 110 followed by a drop to 85 usually.

[@jerzybaczyk2769]

By eating one meal a day and bathing in the cold Baltic Sea I lost 15 kg in 20 days. I think that these baths enhanced thermogenesis and I wonder if cold showers would help as well.

[@HansGrob]

Cold baths and showers have certainly a positive effect on health. But they act rather as shocks, less in cooling down the whole body. That is why I avoid them, but move around for at least one hour not perfectly dressed in winter.

[@dan-qe1tb]

Hello Mario. I find my body works mostly on calories in/calories out: that is to say, I don't tend to gain weight unless I overeat, no matter what time of the day I eat. I would imagine eating right before bed wouldn't help, however. In the event that my exercise routine is reduced because I'm working out of town, not surprisingly I have to cut back on my portions and have to make sure I don't overdo it, as the food is of poorer quality. I don't have any fat mass to lose, my scan had come in at 20% body fat. So, I've been concentrating on meal timing for better blood sugar control.

[@olgabaeva2087]

Thank you for the video! Yep, video about health benefits TRE would be even more interesting. Also interesting to know why some people can't tolerate TRE (I became extremely tired and hungry and irritable, so it seems that my body can't tolerate low glucose levels...)

[@nourishedbyscience]

Hm, no one can tolerate low glucose levels, but it would not be expected for anyone who is healthy to develop hypoglycemia in the extended fasting periods when doing TRE. Maybe ease into it a bit more, I'd reduce your daily eating window by 30 min every week or so, and try out a mild form of TRE such as 10-h-TRE first? Best, Mario

[@olgabaeva2087]

Thank you for the response, Mario. But it seems that the problem is more that I became "hangry" (not hungry) and my blood sugar levels are around 5 mmol/l (normal). I can't find any reasonable explanation on this. And a lot of people have the same problem.

[@davepaul8975]

The biggest problem with these studies is the food composition of the diet. Without restricting refined carbohydrates, seed oils, and ultra-processed which have been shown to metabolically affect the functioning of the various hormones associated with the bioenergetics of body these studies are narrowly focus just on eating patterns and not food content. For example Dr. Lustig has shown by eliminating sugar form children with NAFLD can improve/reverse this condition.

[@nourishedbyscience]

There is a lot of value in isolating one specific factor, and the consistency between these studies shows quite clearly that all of the things you mention don't matter: adopting TRE compared to control leads to a loss of body weight and fat mass. That's not to say that reducing refined carbs or UPF from the diet can independently also have major health benefits. Cheers Mario

[@asr9217]

Another great video thanks. Please can you speak about metabolic effects of tre in people who are healthy weight on healthy diet in your future videos. I don't do tre but lots do so would be really interested on your take re metabolism. Some say fasting can be harmful for post menopausal women (Dr Stacey Sims) and as you say higher protein is very important for muscle mass and avoiding sarcopaenia.

[@HansGrob]

- Replace 'lean mass' by 'muscle mass', better 'muscular strength', because not the mass, but the strength is important. - When body mass is lowered, less muscle mass or strength is needed or adapted for moving. Hence a loss of the former will be less harmful. - loss of fat is not dependent on the type of food reduction, but the whole health, especially with regards to autophagy and sleep. Then, early and long TRE are better.

[@nourishedbyscience]

But it’s lean mass that is being measured, or even more precisely, fat-free mass. Muscle mass is part of that, but muscular strength is usually not measured. The bigger point is that even though we need less muscle to move if we are leaner, the absolute muscle mass matters quite a bit as well, for thinks such as total energy expenditure and glucose homeostasis.

[@chewiewins]

Been doing Late Intermittent Fasting by skipping breakfast most days of week (have breakfast weekends for socially with kids, high fiber and savory breakfast) with OMAD once a week. Working well.

[@nourishedbyscience]

Yes, finding an approach that we can happily live with long-term is the way to go. This sounds pretty sustainable to me, but will probably help you gain excessive weight. Cheers Mario

[@jeffshepard972]

Great summary, thanks. Question… did any of these studies take into account type of diet with TRE, such as a keto diet? Does burning ketones for fuel have any impact when combined with TRE?

[@nourishedbyscience]

That's a good question, and to my amazement, something that hasn't really been well studied. It would seem that combining two states that facilitate ketogenesis would be kind of natural and may enhance the effects of each, but there hasn't been a good RCT on this one yet. The only study that is somewhat related is this one here that tested TRE alone, a low-carb diet alone, and TRE + low-carb diet. Unfortunately, they didn't include a control group that received neither TRE nor the low-carb diet, which would have been a proper 2x2 factorial design and much more conclusive to interpret: He et al.; Time-restricted eating with or without low-carbohydrate diets reduces visceral fat and improves metabolic syndrome: a randomized trial. Cell Reports Medicine 2022; 3: 1007777. It's not a bad study, but IMO carb intake was too high at up to 130g per day or up to 26% of total energy intake, and the lack of a control period that didn't receive any intervention makes the data hard to interpret. Basically, the changes in the TRE only and low-carb only groups are meaningless because they could have been caused by hidden-time effects, i.e., changes that could have also occured in a control group. I do hope we'll get some better evidence on this soon. Particularly with regard to reversal of metabolic diseases such as T2DM or NAFLD, I have heard of a lot of anecdotal evidence that people have reversed these with a combination of keto + TRE/OMAD, so it would be interesting to see some good-quality data on this. Cheers Mario

[@keto-rebellion]

Does having ONLY 10 MINUTES to gobble down dinner count as Time Restricted Eating? Ho ho ho! (my attempt at a joke!)

[@dlsweb2]

Funny🤗

[@jackschitt6235]

I'm a channel surfer as in I skim a lot of stuff but don't stick with everything to the end. You responded to my comment and I had meant to get back to you but never got around to it. Long story SHORTER, I am a diagnosed diabetic since 1998. My diagnosis was type 2 initially but was changed to type one several years ago by my current Endocrinologist. My c-peptide was .5 though so my body obviously was still making insulin. The reference range for normal on the low side was .9. My antibodies and GAD65 were negative and normal. I'm "overweight" but not in an extreme way. I'm around 177 pounds at 59 (male). I'm on the Medtronic insulin pump with a CGM. What could you refer me to concerning reading about the possibility of my pancreas recovering if I went very low carb and got very lean etc? Might my pancreas regain some insulin making ability?

[@nourishedbyscience]

If your antibodies were negative, then I'd think it MAY be possible to recover some of that lost beta-cell function. One thing to work out is whether you likely have a lot of ectopic fat. I talk about that here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYGYaKKDbdF1l7csi=vDbXRiyxzZxTIf4y Now, even if you are not very overweight, it could simply be that you have a low personal fat threshold (I explain that in the video). This could be related to a condition called lipodystrophy in which our ability to store fat safely in our subcutaneous fat tissues is limited. This is relevant because the main modifiable factor that affects beta-cell function is ectopic fat storage in the pancreas. That's hard to measure directly, but you can estimate whether you may have high pancreatic fat by estimating whether you have high liver fat; they often go hand-in-hand. I explain here how you can use blood based-tests to get an estimate of whether you have passed your personal fat threshold: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJiWn2Csnpenabssi=9IZiR4_4hrA-6UxH In people who have pancreatic fat tend to lose it if they lose some or all of their excess body weight. There are also some interventions that improve pancreatic beta-cell function independent of weight loss; subscribe to the channel, as I will post on this repeatedly over the next few months. One thing to note is that very extreme forms of time-restricted eating, such as one-meal-a-day (OMAD), and also adopting a very low-carb diet will temporarily reduce insulin secretion further, so just keep that in mind. This is a reversible effect, but keep in mind that you would need to re-introduce carbs slowly after doing OMAD or low-carb for a while. Hope this helps! Cheers Mario

[@jackschitt6235]

@@nourishedbyscience My Endocrinologist is a skinny guy from Pakistan and I felt that he felt that we are done talking about my diagnosis. I can't afford to risk offending him and being discharged. I was discharged by the last Endocrinologist who had the same 3 facts and kept my diagnosis as type 2. I'm in the USA and don't understand how 2 specialists could tell me opposite things with the same test results.

[@veleskatruter9868]

What is TRE's effect on insulin resistance and insulin spikes?

[@nourishedbyscience]

Next video. Should be published this week. Cheers Mario

[@ninak-g7k]

Hi. Do you plan to make a video on the effect of protein on insulin release? From searching online I find protein leads to substantial insulin release and I found an article summmary that states that a high protein diet especially with BCAA aminoacids are linked to type 2 diabetes. So could protein affect insulin resistance. Also i find that protein leads to glucagon release, so protein make the body release glucose into the bloodstream. Both releasing and storing, maybe thats why eating protein with carbs lessen the spike? If it just insulin was released that would have resulted in hypiglycemia.

[@lesliemerei726]

Thanks!

[@nourishedbyscience]

Thank you for your support!

[@almanchan7936]

So after all CR is the king for weight loss. The benefit of TRE is just because it naturally decrease the caloric intake.

[@vadimesharak726]

Calories are very-very bad proxy. In studies, they showed the lower basel insulin level during fasting period and consequently, over the day. What we know about the lowerish insulin level? It will promote the lipolyses over the lipogenesis and fat immobilization! That's the answer but investigators for unknown reason avoid it. And only during some interviews would point out on as the insignificant finding

[@nourishedbyscience]

You have a very insulin centric view here that I don't agree is adequate. Insulin is extremely important, and no one emphasizes this more than me. Take a look around my channel. But not everything is only caused by insulin; of course, energy balances does matter for weight loss. In fact, fasting insulin remained elevated in several of the RCTs I reviewed even as participants lost weight on TRE.

[@vadimesharak726]

@@nourishedbyscience, well, in this case if calories are good proxy, would you, plz, predict how many ATP will be made from one glucose molecule? Only 2, maybe 30 or 38? Depend on it, you will have more or less real usable energy for all cellular needs. Calories value is 4 kcal/g but output could be almost 20x different! There is no way to account it.

[@ratava6325]

I don’t eat from supper at 8 or 9 to Lunch at 1230 so that is 16 hours, effortless 9

[@scottishfoldmocha5875]

In a long run, too short eating window, or too long fasting window might trigger formation of gallstones.

[@nourishedbyscience]

Hm, haven't heard that. Do you have a reference?

[@pinitphon1]

Please do meta-analyses.

[@nourishedbyscience]

It may surprise you, but I am not a fan of meta-analyses in the area of nutrition. Meta-analyses work really well whenever our exposure is clearly standardized, as in drug studies. In nutrition, that is never the case. I am much more interested in looking at each study in detail, a nuance that tends to get lost if we try to fit many differently designed studies into the same analytical framework.

[@susibul5320]

How do I reduce my fatty liver and pancreas when I am underweight? I am 5ft 6” and 8stone, I lost weight from autoimmune which happened after covid infection, my doctor put me on intravenous antibiotics and oral high dose clarithramycin, then prednislone. I believe this medicine has damaged my liver and pancreas, I’ve stopped taking everything. My diet is TRE 16/8 whole foods including fish, unrestricted amounts 6 months, weight still 8st.

[@nourishedbyscience]

How do you know you have fat in your liver and pancreas?

[@susibul5320]

@@nourishedbyscience I had an abdominal CT scan which showed ‘Diffuse fatty infiltration of the liver and main pancreatic duct mildly dilated’. Grateful thanks for your reply, I’m in UK.

[@susibul5320]

PS, before the CT an ultrasound found pancreatic head heterogenous and bulky.

[@JesseOsby]

Excellent video as always, Dr. Kratz. Your analyses are always so thorough. I'd love to see a similar video on alternate daily fasting, if sufficient data exists to do one. I find it easier to just not eat on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays instead of watching the clock for daily TRE, but would love to know if studies show any downsides to that.

[@UnCoolDad]

Looking forward to the next video. When might we see it?

[@nourishedbyscience]

I've done all of the research, so hopefully within the next two weeks. Cheers Mario

[@UnCoolDad]

@@nourishedbyscience last I looked into it there were (from memory) some China studies which showed an effect on blood sugar between TRE depending if it was a morning fast or evening.

[@konbattles1570]

No mention of what foods were consumed? Eating high carb foods, even in a reduced eating window window, will spike insulin preventing burning fat. Seems like a fairly useless conclusion without including insulin levels in the evaluation.

[@nourishedbyscience]

You do you. I have long given up fighting the low-carb doctrine that only insulin matters for everything. For everyone else who is reading this: If this commenter were correct, the available studies would all show no weight loss on TRE unless the intervention diets were also low-carb. That is demonstrably not the case. People simply consumed their normal diets, either as TRE or not, and on TRE they lost weight, independent of what the baseline diet was. These results are directly are at odds with the commenters statement that "Eating high carb foods, even in a reduced eating window window, will spike insulin preventing burning fat". If it was this easy, we could just dish out a few sugar cubes to starving people, and - voila - they are saved from ever losing any more body fat. Insulin matters, but so do other factors and, of course, the overall energy intake relative to energy expenditure.

[@peanutbutterjellyjam2179]

I have found that people educated in nutrition are often incorrect in their assessment of TRE. TRE coupled with a high meat and fat diet in combination with low, to zero, carb/sugar intake provides the best results.❤

[@nourishedbyscience]

That may well be, but there is no real published evidence to support this. And given that this is an evidence-based channel, that's what I am going to present. Aside, the dietary changes you suggest by themselves often lead to weight loss, so of course adding TRE to that regimen would be expected to lead to even more weight loss. That is very consistent with the conclusion from this video. Not sure where you disagree!?

[@chewiewins]

Think just pushing his Carnivore agenda haha

[@tatersquad2000]

Every new revolutionary weight loss trend always eventually converges back to boring ol' calorie restriction.

[@nourishedbyscience]

True. But if one can acchive calorie restriction using different approaches, including one such as TRE that doesn't require any calorie counting or portion control, I would count that as a win.

[@teresamexico309]

Even my grandma knew that :) In seriousness, TRE has way more good effects than just the weight loss, fat loss, etc..TRE is more in tune with our circadian cycle which leads to other benefits on human health.

[@MrTeow]

Mice 24 vs 8 hours. Human 12 vs 8. The difference is far too great. The key is the amount of hours.

[@nourishedbyscience]

Good point. And that's just one of several issues with the rodent studies. Cheers Mario

[@markotrieste]

Mice internal clock is way faster too. A 16 hrs fast for a mice is like 3-4 days for humans.

[@stephenpederson7471]

In a simplistic way your correct. All the tests were pretty much based on eating the same number of meals (calories) each day spread over fewer hours. That wont work. The key to a very small window (1-2 hours) in which you eat ONE meal.

[@Franklin-pc3xd]

Get to the point, please. next time, do not tell us how to build the research watch, just tell us what time it is.

[@nourishedbyscience]

Sorry it's not your style ...

[@teresamexico309]

Good review Dr. Mario, thank you!. Those trials include people that want/need to lose weight, while there are some people that (we) do not want to lose weight and certainly not muscle. Anecdotal: earlyTRE 9-10 hr has given me; better sleep, my gut function has improved, my hair is growing fuller, etc..and my weight is stable. Longer TRE is not for everyone and certainly not for me, I would lose weight. Sometimes I do break the TRE because a family/friend gathering in the evening as well.

[@nourishedbyscience]

Yes, it's the same for me. 10-hour TRE is really effortless for me, and just an easy way to prevent weight gain without needing to count calories or restrict in any way. Cheers Mario