Research at the University of Texas shows that mice that receive their food only within a short time window live longer on average. Male mice that ate within an eight-hour window lived about 12 percent longer than mice that could eat throughout the day. However, female mice did not benefit from this dietary restriction in the same way. This indicates that the effect on lifespan may be sex-specific.
In this study, mice were given standard food, without being forced to eat fewer calories. Nevertheless, the mice that only received food within a restricted period automatically ate slightly less. Time-restricted eating not only led to lower body weight in both sexes, but also fewer signs of ageing such as frailty and physical decline. The greatest improvements were seen in mice with an eight-hour eating window.
Having food available for a limited period fits with the natural daily rhythm of mice. This type of eating pattern is also being studied in humans under the name of intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating. Most of the health benefits of this are expected because it allows the body to recover better between meals. Even so, it is important for follow-up research to show whether this also applies to humans.
Although time-restricted eating appears beneficial for slowing down ageing, it does not change certain blood levels associated with age-related diseases very much. The effects appear to come mainly through improvements in physical condition and activity. This makes this method interesting as a natural way to age fit and healthily.
For anyone wanting to age healthily, adopting a regular eating window can be a simple step to improve their quality of life.
Source: Arkadi Mazin
