Intermittent fasting has drawn significant interest in the clinical research community due to its potential to address metabolic complications such as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Various intermittent fasting regimens include alternate-day fasting (24 h of fasting followed by 24 h of eating), time-restricted fasting (fasting for 14 h and eating within a 10 h window), and the 5:2 diet (fasting for two days and eating normally for the other five days). Intermittent fasting is associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus-related complications and can slow their progression. The increasing global prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus highlights the importance of early management. Since prediabetes is a precursor to type 2 diabetes mellitus, understanding its progression is essential. However, the long-term effects of intermittent fasting on prediabetes are not yet well understood. Therefore, this review aims to comprehensively compile existing knowledge on the therapeutic effects of intermittent fasting in managing type 2 diabetes mellitus and prediabetes.

Background: Prediabetes is a condition that often precedes the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Literature evidence indicates that prediabetes is reversible, making it an important therapeutic target for preventing the progression to T2DM. Several studies have investigated intermittent fasting as a possible method to manage or treat prediabetes. Objectives: This study evaluated the impact of a 14:10-hour time-restricted feeding (TRF) regimen on leptin concentration, insulin sensitivity and selected markers associated with the insulin signalling pathway and glucose homeostasis in diet-induced prediabetic rats. Methods: Twenty-four male Sprague Dawley rats were obtained and randomly divided into two dietary groups: group 1 (n = 6) received a standard diet and water, while group 2 (n = 18) was provided a high-fat, high-carbohydrate (HFHC) diet supplemented with 15% fructose for a period of 20 weeks to induce prediabetes. After confirming prediabetes, an intermittent fasting (IF) regimen was assigned to the rats while also having untreated and metformin-treated prediabetic rats serving as controls. Results: Both IF and HFHC-Met groups yield significantly lower blood glucose, leptin and BMI results compared to the prediabetic group. The IF group yielded significantly lower insulin, HOMA-IR and HbA1C than both controls. Conclusions: The study showed the potential of IF in alleviating prediabetes-induced dysregulation of glucose homeostasis and therefore warrants further investigations into its use in the management of prediabetes.

: Intermittent fasting has drawn significant interest in the clinical research community due to its potential to address metabolic complications such as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Various intermittent fasting regimens include alternate-day fasting (24 hours of fasting followed by 24 hours of eating), time-restricted fasting (fasting for 14 hours and eating within a 10-hour window), and the 5:2 diet (fasting for two days and eating normally for the other five days). Intermittent fasting is associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus-related complications and can slow their progression. The increasing global prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus highlights the importance of early management. Since prediabetes is a precursor to type 2 diabetes mellitus, understanding its progression is essential. However, the long-term effects of intermittent fasting on prediabetes are not yet well understood. Therefore, this review aims to comprehensively compile existing knowledge on the therapeutic effects of intermittent fasting in managing type 2 diabetes mellitus and prediabetes.

Time-restricted feeding has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological intervention for the management of metabolic disorders, particularly type 2 diabetes mellitus and its associated complications. Time-restricted feeding involves restricting food intake to a specific daily eating window while fasting for the remaining hours within 24 h. Furthermore, time-restricted feeding can be combined with specific dietary modifications to enhance its therapeutic benefits. Type 2 diabetes mellitus has been strongly linked to gut dysbiosis, adipose tissue dysfunction, chronic low-grade inflammation, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, and an increased risk of acute pancreatitis. Given the rising global prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, early intervention strategies are becoming increasingly important. Prediabetes, as an intermediate stage preceding type 2 diabetes mellitus, provides a critical opportunity to understand the mechanisms underlying disease progression and to develop effective preventive strategies. However, the effects of time-restricted feeding on gut dysbiosis, adipose tissue dysfunction, dysregulated inflammatory responses, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and the risk of acute pancreatitis at prediabetic state remain incompletely understood. Therefore, this review summarizes the current evidence regarding the therapeutic potential of time-restricted feeding in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus and its related complications, while highlighting areas that require further investigation.