9-Hour Eating Window Improved Cognitive Tests in 26 Older Women as Weight Loss Matched Controls
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 26
9-Hour Eating Window Improved Cognitive Tests in 26 Older Women as Weight Loss Matched Controls
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 26
Summary
47 women aged 50 to 79 with overweight or obesity lost about 7 kg over six months, but the 26 assigned to a nine-hour eating window scored better on spatial planning and problem-solving tests.
Those participants typically ate between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and avoided food for four hours before bed, suggesting meal timing—not weight loss alone—may have driven the modest cognitive gains.
Researchers also saw hints of fewer memory and learning errors, while multitasking and reaction-time results were similar between groups.
Nutrition 2026 presenters said larger peer-reviewed studies are needed to confirm whether the effects are clinically meaningful and to test links to circadian rhythms, metabolism and inflammation.
Dementia causes nearly 2 million deaths a year worldwide, and experts estimate almost half of cases could be prevented or delayed through lifestyle changes; obesity in midlife raises later dementia risk by 30%.