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Time-Restricted Eating, Circadian Rhythms, and Cardiometabolic Risk

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Dear Colleagues,

Time-restricted eating (TRE) is an increasingly popular dietary approach that limits food intake to a specific time window of 4-10 hours each day without changing what or how much an individual eats. TRE works by aligning eating patterns with the body’s natural circadian rhythms, which regulate key metabolic processes like glucose control, insulin sensitivity, and lipid metabolism. Disrupting these rhythms—through shift work, irregular eating schedules, or poor sleep—can increase the risk of cardiometabolic conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

This Special Issue will focus on the intersection of time-restricted eating, circadian biology, and cardiometabolic health. We welcome original research and reviews on the physiological mechanisms underlying TRE, its impact on metabolic outcomes, and practical strategies to support adherence—especially in individuals with obesity or related metabolic diseases.

Our goal is to highlight both the science and real-world application of TRE to support the prevention and management of chronic metabolic diseases.

Dr. Vasiliki Pavlou
Prof. Dr. Krista Varady
Guest Editors

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26 pages, 718 KB

Open AccessArticle

Time-Restricted Eating and Prebiotic Supplementation Demonstrate Feasibility and Acceptability in Young Adult Pediatric Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial

by Kate Cares, Manoela Lima Oliveira, Alyssa Bryner, Bernice Man, Zhengjia Chen, Beatriz Peñalver Bernabé, Mary Lou Schmidt, Marian Fitzgibbon and Kelsey Gabel

Nutrients 2025, 17(20), 3306; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17203306 - 21 Oct 2025

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Abstract

Background: The optimization of treatment for pediatric cancer has increased 5-year survivor rates to over 80%. Currently, there are almost half a million survivors of a pediatric cancer alive in the United States, with numbers increasing worldwide. Despite increased survivorship, pediatric cancer survivors (PCSs) are at high risk for long-term chronic disease, including cardiometabolic dysregulation at an early age due to cancer-related treatments. PCSs often have increased adiposity, perturbation in the gut microbiome, and chronic systemic inflammation compared to age-matched controls. Time-restricted eating (TRE) has emerged as an effective dietary intervention to promote weight loss in individuals with increased adiposity and cardiometabolic disease. Prebiotic supplements may enhance the efficacy of TRE by promoting satiety via the gut microbiome. Given the accessibility of both TRE and prebiotic supplements, this type of dietary intervention may be ideal for young adult PCSs. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of 12 weeks of TRE with and without a prebiotic supplement among young adult PCSs. Changes in body weight, body composition, and cardiometabolic disease risk markers were explored. Methods: Feasibility was measured based on recruitment (n = 20), retention (>80%), and adherence to the TRE eating window and prebiotic (>80%), and acceptability was measured based on a validated survey. Body weight, body composition, blood pressure, and additional blood-based cardiometabolic disease risk markers were also measured before and following the intervention. Results: Feasibility was not met based on recruitment (n = 13), but retention and adherence exceeded the a priori hypothesis. Acceptability also met the a priori hypothesis. Improvements were observed in some cardiometabolic disease risk markers, including a significant decrease in fat mass and visceral fat mass in both groups following the intervention. Conclusions: Given the positive outcomes related to retention, adherence, and acceptability, as well as some cardiometabolic disease risk markers, a larger and longer study of TRE and prebiotic supplementation in PCSs is warranted. However, innovative recruitment strategies should be implemented, such as leveraging social media and targeting larger geographical areas, given recruitment challenges. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Time-Restricted Eating, Circadian Rhythms, and Cardiometabolic Risk)

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11 pages, 847 KB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Time-Restricted Eating Versus Daily Calorie Restriction on Mood and Quality of Life in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

by Vasiliki Pavlou, Shuhao Lin, Sofia Cienfuegos, Mark Ezpeleta, Mary-Claire Runchey, Sarah Corapi and Krista A. Varady

Nutrients 2025, 17(17), 2757; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17172757 - 26 Aug 2025

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Abstract

Background/Objectives: This secondary analysis aimed to compare the effects of time-restricted eating (TRE) versus calorie restriction (CR) and controls on mood and quality of life in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods: Adults with T2D (n = 69) were randomly assigned to one of three interventions for 6 months: 8 h TRE (eating only between 12 and 8 pm daily); CR (25% energy restriction daily); or a no-intervention control group. At baseline and 6 months, mood was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaires, while quality of life was assessed using the Rand 36-Item Short Form (SF-36). Results: Body weight significantly decreased in the TRE group (−3.38%; 95% CI, −6.04 to −0.71%, p = 0.008), but not in the CR group (−1.80%, 95% CI, −4.50 to 0.91%, p = 0.32) versus controls by month 6. Fat mass, lean mass, and visceral fat mass remained unchanged in TRE and CR groups, versus controls, from baseline to month 6. No changes were observed in depression scores (BDI-II), total mood disturbance, or any POMS subscales (tension, depression, anger, fatigue, confusion, or vigor) in either the TRE or CR groups compared to controls. Similarly, there were no significant changes in the quality-of-life SF-36 constructs of vitality, bodily pain, mental health, and general physical health in the TRE or CR group versus controls. By month 6, there were no associations between changes in body weight, quality of life, and mood outcomes in any group. Conclusions: In conclusion, our findings suggest that TRE and CR do not have any effect on mood or quality of life in adults with T2D, relative to controls. However, the participants’ baseline mood and quality of life were generally within healthy ranges, and only minimal weight loss was achieved (3.5%, TRE only), which may explain the lack of observed effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Time-Restricted Eating, Circadian Rhythms, and Cardiometabolic Risk)

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