Restricted eating hours may reduce cognitive decline in older age, researchers find — SkimNews
SkimNews Take
Because both groups lost similar weight but only the time-restricted group showed cognitive gains, the findings hint that meal timing — not caloric reduction alone — may independently influence brain aging pathways.
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- Prof Sue Shapses of Rutgers University ran a six-month trial in which 26 of 47 women aged 50–79 with overweight or obesity ate within a nine-hour window (typically 10am–6pm), while the rest spread meals over about 12 hours, with both groups cutting 500 calories daily.
- Both groups lost similar weight averaging about 7kg (15lbs), but the time-restricted group outperformed the others on spatial planning and problem-solving tests, with hints of fewer errors on memory and learning tests.
- Researchers presented the preliminary findings at Nutrition 2026, the American Society for Nutrition's annual meeting in Maryland, calling the effects "modest" and noting the small sample limits conclusions.
- Prof Wendy Hall of King's College London, who was not involved in the trial, called time-restricted eating "a plausible approach to supporting cognitive health," citing potential benefits for blood sugar control, vascular function and inflammation.
- Dementia is the leading cause of death in the UK and the seventh worldwide, with nearly 2 million global deaths annually, and experts believe nearly half of cases could be prevented or delayed through lifestyle changes.
- A January review cited in the article found that finishing eating before 7pm was associated with significant improvements in body weight, BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure and metabolic health markers.
Why it matters: For the roughly 2 million people who die from dementia globally each year — a figure experts say could be cut nearly in half through lifestyle changes — this study points to a cheap, behavioral lever beyond weight loss: when you eat. If larger trials confirm the finding, the roughly 14-hour eating window common in the UK and US could become a modifiable target for brain health alongside diet quality and exercise.
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