Daily eating habit linked to better brain health in older adults, new research suggests
Eating within a shorter daily window could help support brain health as people age, according to new research.Preliminary findings presented at NUTRITION 2026 — the American Society for Nutrition’s annual meeting in Maryland — suggests that older women who ate within eight to nine hours per day saw slight cognitive improvement compared to those who spread their meals over about 12 hours each day.The small six-month trial included 47 postmenopausal obese or overweight women aged 50 to 79. They were each advised to reduce their daily food intake by about 500 calories.INTERMITTENT FASTING'S REAL BENEFIT MAY COME AFTER YOU START EATING AGAINThe participants were divided into two groups.
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Researchers studied 47 older women who were overweight or obese. The women ate their food within an eight‑ to nine‑hour window each day for six months. They also cut about 500 calories from their daily diet. Compared with women who ate over about 12 hours, the short‑window group showed a small improvement in thinking skills.
Why it matters
This suggests that changing when you eat, not just what you eat, might help keep the brain healthy as you age. It offers a simple habit that older adults could try to support memory and thinking.
- What was the eating window in the study?
- Participants ate all their food within eight to nine hours each day.
- Who were the study participants?
- They were 47 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79 who were overweight or obese.
- What improvement was seen?
- The short‑window group had a slight improvement in cognitive test scores compared to the longer‑eating group.
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Daily eating habit linked to better brain health in older adults, new research suggests
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