Evaluation of the relationship between time restricted eating practice and nutritional status in overweight individuals

Time-restricted eating is considered as an intermittent fasting model, based on the planning of eating time in synchronization with the active phase of the daily circadian rhythm, in which food intake and fasting time are limited to certain periods. This study was planned and conducted to evaluate the relationship between 6-week time-restricted eating practice and nutritional status in 43 overweight female volunteer individuals aged 19-65 years who applied to the diet polyclinic of a hospital in Balıkesir. In the study, individuals ate ad libitum in an 8-hour eating window and 16-hour fasting pattern without energy restriction for 6 weeks. At the beginning of the study, a survey containing questions to determine the socio-economic characteristics, nutritional habits and physical activity status of the individuals and the Morning-Evening scale to determine their chronotypes were applied and 24-hour retrospective food consumption records were taken. At the beginning of the study and after 6 weeks, some anthropometric measurements (body weight, height, waist circumference, neck circumference) and body composition analysis (body fat mass, body fat ratio, lean body mass, body fluid mass) of individuals were taken by the researcher herself, some biochemical findings (fasting glucose, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, AST, ALT) and systolic-diastolic blood pressures were also obtained from hospital records and evaluate. In the result of the study; after TRE, energy (kcal), carbohydrate (g), protein (g), fat (g) and vitamin E (mg) intakes decreased statistically significantly, protein (%), fiber (g) and vitamin A (μg) intakes increased statistically significantly compared to baseline (p<0.05). Body weight (kg), waist circumference (cm), waist/height ratio, neck circumference (cm), BMI (kg/m2), body fat mass (kg) and body fat ratio (%) of the individuals decreased statistically significantly (p<0.05). In the result of the study; compared to baseline fasting glucose (mg/dL), fasting insulin (µU/mL), HOMA-IR, triglyceride (mg/dL), LDL cholesterol (mg/dL), AST (U/L), systolic-diastolic blood pressure (mm/Hg) values decreased statistically significantly and HDL cholesterol (mg/dL) increased statistically significantly (p<0.05). Although the results of the study show that TRE practice causes statistically significant changes in the body weight and biochemical findings of individuals in a 6-week period, it is necessary to carry out and monitor the practices for body weight control with an individualized planning and under the control of a dietitian, and intermittent fasting practices such as TRE have a wider range of health effects in the long term. It is thought that the results of more detailed and sampled studies are needed.