英语分级阅读 · Level 3 · health · 约 332 词
Eating in a shorter time window may help older adults keep their thinking skills sharp
A small study found that older women who ate only within a nine-hour window did better on some thinking tests than those who ate over a longer period, even though both groups lost the same amount of weight.
Researchers have found that eating within a shorter daily window may help older adults keep their thinking skills sharp. A small pilot study led by Professor Sue Shapses of Rutgers University examined this idea. The trial involved 47 women aged 50 to 79 who lived with overweight or obesity. All participants reduced their daily calorie intake by 500 calories for six months. However, 26 women were asked to eat only within a nine-hour window, typically between 10am and 6pm, and to stop eating four hours before bed. The remaining women spread their meals over a longer period, usually about 12 hours.
Both groups lost a similar amount of weight, averaging about 7 kilograms. Despite this, the women who restricted their eating time performed better on cognitive tests. They showed improved results in spatial planning and problem-solving tasks. There were also hints of fewer errors on memory and learning tests. Interestingly, no significant difference was found in multitasking or reaction time tests. Professor Shapses described these cognitive effects as modest but potentially meaningful for everyday tasks.
The results were presented at Nutrition 2026 in Maryland. Experts believe these findings are important because dementia is a leading cause of death globally. Obesity in middle age can raise the risk of dementia in later life by 30 percent. Nearly half of dementia cases may be preventable or delayable through lifestyle changes. Professor Wendy Hall of King’s College London noted that avoiding large meals late in the evening may improve blood sugar control and reduce inflammation.
The researchers plan to investigate the role of circadian rhythms, metabolism, and inflammation in these effects. They want to understand why a shorter eating window might benefit the brain. The findings are preliminary and await confirmation in larger, peer-reviewed studies. Scientists also need to check whether the results apply to men or other age groups. For now, the study suggests that when you eat might be just as important as what you eat for maintaining cognitive health in older age.
中文参考
研究人员发现，在较短的每日窗口内进食可能有助于老年人保持思维敏锐。这项由罗格斯大学的Sue Shapses教授领导的小型试点研究探讨了这一想法。试验涉及47名年龄在50至79岁之间、患有超重或肥胖的女性。所有参与者都在六个月内将每日卡路里摄入量减少了500卡路里。然而，其中26名女性被要求在九小时的窗口内进食，通常在上午10点到下午6点之间，并在睡前四小时停止进食。其余女性则将餐食分布在更长的时间内，通常约为12小时。
两组的体重减轻量相似，平均约为7公斤。尽管如此，限制进食时间的女性在认知测试中表现更好。她们在空间规划和解决问题任务中显示出更好的结果。在记忆和学习测试中，错误也更少的迹象。有趣的是，在多任务处理或反应时间测试中没有发现显著差异。Shapses教授将这些认知效应描述为适度但可能对日常任务有意义。
结果在马里兰州的2026年营养大会上公布。专家认为这些发现很重要，因为痴呆症是全球主要的死亡原因之一。中年肥胖可能会使晚年患痴呆症的风险增加30%。近一半的痴呆症病例可能通过生活方式的改变来预防或延缓。伦敦国王学院的Wendy Hall教授指出，避免在晚上晚些时候吃大餐可能会改善血糖控制并减少炎症。
研究人员计划调查昼夜节律、代谢和炎症在这些效应中的作用。他们想了解为什么较短的进食窗口可能有益于大脑。这些发现是初步的，有待在更大规模的同行评审研究中确认。科学家还需要检查结果是否适用于男性或其他年龄组。目前，这项研究表明，对于维持老年认知健康，你什么时候吃可能和你吃什么一样重要。