Research has previously shown us that the foods we eat can help promote brain health. Now, a recent study points to the idea that when we eat may boost those effects even more
A team from Rutgers University set out to investigate a possible solution to existing research findings consistently showing that women and overweight individuals are more prone to dementia conditions like Alzheimer’s. As large segments of our population grow older and face age-related dementia, could some relatively simple lifestyle choices help manage risk?
How the study was conducted
Published in July 2026 in the American Society for Nutrition’s Current Developments in Nutritionjournal, the results from a group of 47 participants suggest there’s hope that some modifications couldmatter. StudyFinds provides an overview of the methodology: Overweight and obese women ages 50 to 79 underwent guidance to reduce their calorie intake by 500 calories daily
Advertisement
Advertisement
Twenty-six participants were asked to consume all their food within a window of less than nine hours per day, with most eating between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. The rest ate within a window of 12 hours per day
The main takeaways
At a six-month check-in, participants across the board had lost an average of 15 pounds. However, there was a distinction between the two groups—as study principal investigator Sue Shapses, PhD, RD, DFASN, commented, “Reductions in the eating window predicted greater improvements” in cognition
Specifically, the time-restricted fasting set performed better on tests measuring memory, learning, spatial planning, and problem-solving
Beyond further testing with a larger sample size, Dr. Shapses says she and her team plan to work to better understand why such a shift occurred, looking at possible factors as sleep and circadian rhythm, inflammation, and nutrient absorption
Advertisement
Advertisement
For daily wellness updates, subscribe to The Healthynewsletter and follow The Healthy on Facebook, Instagram, and Google. Keep reading:
Daily Fiber Had a Surprising Effect on Knee Pain and Arthritis in a New Study
A Cleveland Clinic Doctor Just Revealed a Major Effect of Walking After a Meal—and It’s Not Blood Sugar
