Polish experts link early dinner and time‑restricted eating to better metabolism and brain health

Polish dietitians recommend having the main evening meal between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., with 5 p.m. often cited as optimal. They argue that an earlier dinner supports glucose control, improves sleep quality, reduces evening hunger and may aid weight loss. Studies published in Cell Metabolism suggest that eating at 5 p.m. can increase daily calorie expenditure by about 60 kcal compared with later meals.

A separate clinical trial presented at the Nutrition 2026 meeting in Maryland examined time‑restricted eating in 47 overweight women aged 50‑79. Participants who limited food intake to an 8‑9‑hour window (approximately 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) lost the same amount of weight as a control group with a 12‑hour window, but performed better on tests of spatial planning, problem solving, memory and learning. No significant differences were observed in reaction‑time or multitasking tests. Researchers, led by Dr Sue Shapses of Rutgers University, noted that weight loss itself benefits cognition, and that avoiding food for at least four hours before sleep may provide additional gains.