Comparison of Time-Restricted Eating vs Daily Calorie Restriction on Intrahepatic Triglyceride Content and Metabolic Risk Factors Among Patients With Obesity and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Study design
12-month randomized clinical trial
Population
- Number of patients studied: 88
- Inclusion criteria: Participants with obesity and NAFLD
- Exclusion criteria: Not provided
Interventions
- Experimental group: Time-Restricted Eating (TRE) - eating only between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm
- Control group: Daily Calorie Restriction (DCR) - habitual meal timing
Primary outcome: Change in intrahepatic triglyceride (IHTG) content measured by magnetic resonance imaging
Secondary outcomes
- Body weight: Significantly and comparably reduced in both groups
- Body fat: No additional benefits in TRE compared to DCR
- Metabolic risk factors: Significantly and comparably reduced in both groups
Conclusion
Among adults with obesity and NAFLD, TRE did not produce additional benefits for reducing IHTG content, body fat, and metabolic risk factors compared with DCR. These findings support the importance of caloric intake restriction when adhering to a regimen of TRE for the management of NAFLD.
Wei X, Lin B, Huang Y, Yang S, Huang C, Shi L, Liu D, Zhang P, Lin J, Xu B, Guo D, Li C, He H, Liu S, Xue Y, Xu Y, Zhang H. Effects of Time-Restricted Eating on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: The TREATY-FLD Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Mar 1;6(3):e233513. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.3513. PMID: 36930148; PMCID: PMC10024204.