A straightforward dietary adjustment, highlighted in a recent television documentary, could be a powerful tool for improving health and slashing the risk of serious conditions like type 2 diabetes.
Dr Rangan Chatterjee, a best-selling author and former NHS GP, championed this method on his Channel 4 programme, Live Well with the Drug-Free Doctor. He recommends confining all daily food consumption to a 12-hour window.
How the 12-Hour Window Works
Dr Chatterjee explains the science behind the approach. If you finish your last meal at 7pm, your body uses that fuel for about four hours. Afterwards, during sleep, it taps into glycogen stores in the liver.
The key change happens around the 10-hour mark post-meal. "Once you get to about 10 hours or so after your last meal, those glycogen stores are pretty much depleted, and you’re likely to be burning fat," he stated.
This ability to switch between energy sources is known as metabolic flexibility, a significant indicator of health and longevity. According to Dr Chatterjee, this practice can curb evening snacking, boost fat burning, and improve sleep, digestion, and immune function.
Expert Endorsement and Scientific Backing
The late Dr Michael Mosley also promoted this strategy on his BBC Radio 4 podcast, Just One Thing. He advised: "If you want to lose a bit of weight and improve your metabolic health, change your meal times... I would recommend you start by trying to eat all your meals within a 12-hour window."
Their recommendations are supported by research. A study in the Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition found that time-restricted eating (TRE) is a "promising dietary intervention" that can lead to significant weight loss and improved cardiometabolic markers like blood glucose and cholesterol in the short to medium term.
Is Intermittent Fasting Healthy?
Health service provider Bupa outlines several benefits of intermittent fasting, which includes the 12-hour method. It gives the digestive system a rest, potentially reducing calorie intake and stabilising blood sugar levels, which is crucial for those with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.
Bupa also notes it may trigger autophagy, a process where the body cleans out damaged cells. While more research is needed, this could lower risks for cancer and other chronic diseases. Additional potential perks include better gut health, improved sleep, and reduced cardiovascular risk factors like high blood pressure.
This simple lifestyle tweak, requiring no special diets or expensive supplements, aligns with a growing body of evidence suggesting that when we eat can be just as important as what we eat for long-term health.
