If you’re worried about developing type 2 diabetes, start restricting the hours when you eat.
Eat during a four-hour window every day and your body will start tolerating glucose—the sugar in your blood—and insulin, the hormone released to break down sugars, will work more effectively.
Researchers from the University of Adelaide have discovered that intermittent fasting—when the time you eat is limited—is a more effective method for warding off diabetes than a diet where you’re watching your calories.
They tested the two approaches on a group of 200 people who were monitored for 18 months while they tried the two diets. Although both groups lost similar amounts of weight, only those who were eating in a time window of between 8am and 12 noon showed greater insulin sensitivity and tolerance to glucose, biological markers that suggest their risk of developing diabetes had also fallen.
The researchers say the very short eating time may be difficult for many people to follow, and so they will be testing to see if a longer window will be just as effective.
It’s estimated that up to 60 percent of diabetes cases could be delayed or even prevented just by changing diet and lifestyle.
