Effect of two types of time-restricted eating on glycemic, lipid indices, and weight in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.

Authors

Maryam Aminian, Masoumeh Hajshafiha, Mohammad Heidari, Sevana Daneghian

Published in

European journal of nutrition. Volume 65. Issue 5. Jun 29, 2026. Epub Jun 29, 2026.

Abstract

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine and metabolic disorder among women of reproductive age with significant metabolic impairments. Time-restricted eating (TRE) has emerged as a promising dietary strategy for improving metabolic health. Although both early time-restricted eating (eTRE) and mid-day time-restricted eating (mTRE) have shown beneficial metabolic effects, their comparative efficacy in women with PCOS remains unclear. This study aimed to directly compare the effects of eTRE and mTRE on glycemic control, lipid profiles, and anthropometric outcomes in women with PCOS.
In this 6-week randomized controlled trial, 75 women with PCOS were allocated to one of three groups: eTRE (8:00 AM-6:00 PM), mTRE (11:00 AM-9:00 PM), or a control group with ad libitum eating. The primary outcome was fasting insulin level. Secondary outcomes included FBS, insulin resistance indices, lipid profile (total cholesterol (TC), LDL-C, HDL-C, and TG), body weight, BMI, waist circumference (WC), and dietary intake. Metabolic and anthropometric variables were assessed at baseline and post-intervention, while dietary intake was evaluated at baseline, mid-intervention, and study completion.
Both eTRE and mTRE significantly reduced FBS, fasting insulin, Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), body weight, and WC compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Additionally, eTRE significantly improved TC (P < 0.001) and LDL-C levels (P = 0.01), whereas similar changes were not observed in the mTRE group.
TRE, particularly eTRE, appears to be an effective dietary intervention for women with PCOS, offering significant benefits for glycemic control, metabolic health, and weight management.
IRCT20221122056575N1.

PMID:
42371138
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 29 Jun 2026.

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