The two studies were published on Oct. 4, 2022 in the journal 'Cell Metabolism.'
According to the first study, eating later in the day is linked to an increased risk of obesity.
This study adds to the growing body of research that suggests eating earlier in the day could be better for a person's health.
"You have this internal biological clock that makes you better at doing different things at different times of the day. It seems like the best time for your metabolism in most people is the mid- to late morning. Your body processes calories differently when you eat late in the day. It tips the scale in favor of weight gain and fat gain. From this study, we can get pretty clear recommendations that people shouldn’t skip breakfast." Courtney Peterson, University of Alabama at Birmingham, via NBC News.
The second study found a link between eating within a 10-hour window and lower cholesterol.
While the study does seem to confirm that intermittent fasting may be beneficial to a person's health the study's author says that a 10-hour window may be easier for people to follow.
"When we think about six or eight hours, you might see a benefit, but people might not stick to it for a long time." Satchidananda Panda, Salk Institute, via NBC News
"There have been lots of hints that time-restricted eating improves blood sugar control and blood pressure ... but this is the first study to really test this in a large scale in people who do shift work." Courtney Peterson, University of Alabama at Birmingham, via NBC News
The subjects of the 10-hour window study followed a mostly Mediterranean diet.