Nutrition & DietEarly Time-Restricted Eating Outperforms Midday Fasting for Women With PCOS
A randomized controlled trial in 75 women with polycystic ovary syndrome compared early time-restricted eating (eTRE, 8am–6pm), midday time-restricted eating (mTRE, 11am–9pm), and unrestricted eating over six weeks. Both TRE protocols significantly reduced fasting blood sugar, fasting insulin, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), body weight, and waist circumference versus controls. However, eTRE went further, also significantly lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol — benefits not seen with mTRE. The findings suggest that aligning the eating window earlier in the day, in sync with natural circadian rhythms, may amplify metabolic improvements beyond simply restricting eating hours.
