The impact of intermittent fasting and Mediterranean diet on older adults' physical health and quality of life: A randomized clinical trial

Couto, Sergio (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Cenit, María Carmen ; Montero, Jesica ; Iguacel, Isabel (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: Background and aims. Non-communicable chronic diseases are on the rise globally, and diet plays a crucial role. Intermittent fasting (IF), particularly time-restricted eating (TRE), has emerged as a potential strategy to manage these conditions. Research suggests that TRE, combined with healthy diets like the Mediterranean diet, may benefit populations, including older adults.
Methods and results. Seventeen adults over 60 years of age were randomly assigned to the TRE + MED group (n = 8), following a 12-h fast with the Mediterranean diet, or the MED-DIET group (n = 9), following the diet without fasting. Over three months, changes in anthropometric, biochemical, and quality of life measures were assessed. The TRE + MED group showed significant reductions in BMI (p = 0.040), waist circumference (p < 0.001), hip circumference (p = 0.025), waist-to-hip ratio (p = 0.023), and systolic blood pressure (SBP) (p = 0.020), along with changes in fasting glucose. In the MED-DIET group, only SBP decreased significantly (p = 0.022). Between-group comparisons showed greater improvements in waist circumference (p = 0.001) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR; p = 0.036) in the TRE + MED group. Conversely, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels improved more in the MED-DIET group (p = 0.020). However, in the between-group comparison, only the reduction in waist circumference, WHR, and GGT levels reached statistical significance. Both groups improved Mediterranean diet adherence, quality of life, and stool regularity, but only 20 % of the TRE + MED group was willing to continue fasting, compared to 100 % in the MED-DIET group.
Conclusion. TRE combined with the Mediterranean diet offers superior health benefits compared to the Mediterranean diet alone. In addition, adhering to a consistent meal schedule and regulating meal timing appear to be more challenging for the studied population.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2025.104132

Año: 2025

Publicado en: Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases (2025), 104132 [8 pp.]
ISSN: 0939-4753

Tipo y forma: Artículo (Versión definitiva)

Área (Departamento): Área Enfermería (Dpto. Fisiatría y Enfermería)