A preliminary study has found that restricting daily eating hours to around 8 to 9 hours may be associated with modest improvements in memory and certain cognitive abilities among older women.
The research, presented at the American Society for Nutrition's Nutrition 2026 annual conference, examined whether the timing of food intake could be linked to cognitive performance in older women.
The six-month study involved 47 women aged between 50 and 79. All participants were overweight or obese and had gone through menopause. They were instructed to reduce their daily calorie intake by approximately 500 calories.
The participants were divided into two groups. One group restricted its daily eating period to an average of 8.2 hours, roughly corresponding to a 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. eating window, while the other group consumed food over an average period of 12.3 hours.
After six months, both groups lost around 15 pounds. However, women who followed the shorter eating window performed somewhat better on certain cognitive tests, including spatial planning, problem-solving and memory.
Researchers did not find a significant difference between the groups in reaction speed or the ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously.
According to researchers, the timing of meals may be linked to metabolism and brain health. Longer intervals between meals may influence factors such as insulin sensitivity, inflammation and cellular repair, which could potentially have implications for brain health.
However, researchers stressed that the findings are preliminary and that larger studies are needed to determine whether restricting eating hours directly improves cognitive health or whether other factors are responsible for the observed results.
Experts also cautioned that time-restricted eating should not be considered the only approach to maintaining brain health. Regular exercise, adequate sleep, controlling blood pressure and blood sugar, and maintaining a balanced diet remain important measures.
