South Australia—Anew study published in Obesity found that time-restricted eating (TRE) may help control blood glucose levels in men at risk of type 2 diabetes.

The study was performed on 15 men. For one week, they ate their normal diet, but in a nine-hour time period—either from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM or from noon to 9:00 PM,according to a press release. Blood glucose response to a standard meal was assessed each day of the study, and regardless of when the men chose to stop eating, TRE improved glucose control.

“Time-restricted eating regimes demonstrate that we can enjoy foods that are perceived to be ‘bad’ for us, if we allow our bodies to have more time fasting each night," Leonie Heilbronn, associate professor at the University of Adelaide’s Medical School and South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, said in the release.

One participant, Fred Rochler, has been participating in a follow-up study. For eight weeks, he’s eating his normal diet between 9:30 AM and 7:30 PM, the press says. “Over the trial,” Rochler said, “I found that my fasting blood glucose tolerance improved significantly. It changed from ‘increased risk’ level to ‘normal.’”

Dr. Heilbronn noted that the study needs to be replicated with a larger number of participants for a greater length of time before conclusions can be drawn.

Read the full study here.