Time-Restricted Eating Alone Shows No Metabolic Benefit, Study Finds

A new study from the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin suggests that time-restricted eating (TRE) does not improve metabolic or cardiovascular health when calorie intake remains unchanged. Published in Science Translational Medicine, the ChronoFast study challenges the belief that simply limiting eating hours is enough to boost metabolic health.

Researchers followed 31 women with overweight or obesity in a randomized crossover trial. Participants alternated between an early eight-hour eating window (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and a later one (1 p.m. to 9 p.m.), while consuming identical calories and nutrients. After two weeks on each schedule, no significant changes were seen in insulin sensitivity, blood sugar, blood fats, or inflammation.

However, meal timing did influence the body’s internal clock. Later eating schedules shifted circadian rhythms and sleep timing. The findings suggest that previously reported benefits of TRE may be driven more by calorie reduction than by eating timing alone.

07-01-2026