eng Enviro Research Publishers Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science Journal 2347-467X 2322-0007 2026-04-10 14 1 392 406 10.12944/CRNFSJ.14.1.27 25514 article Najd Al Sarayreh 1 Hayder Al-Domi 1 Aseel Jawamis 1 Department of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan The present study was designed to evaluate and compare the effects of time-restricted eating alone, caloric restriction alone, and their combination on insulin resistance in obese adults with prediabetes living in Amman, Jordan. In a 12-week open-label randomized controlled trial, using a 2×2 factorial design was employed. A total of 120 obese adults aged 18–40 years with prediabetes were randomized into four groups: time-restricted eating, caloric restriction (reduction of 500 kilocalories), time-restricted eating with caloric restriction, or a control group. Blood samples were collected at baseline and week 12 following an overnight fast. Fasting blood glucose and insulin concentrations were measured using standardized laboratory methods, and insulin resistance was assessed using the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). The dietary interventions significantly affected insulin resistance (p = 0.001), fasting insulin (p = 0.001), and fasting blood glucose (p = 0.004). Both caloric restrictions alone and the combined time-restricted eating with caloric restriction intervention significantly reduced homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance compared with the control group (p = 0.021 and p < 0.001, respectively). The combined intervention achieved the most significant reduction in insulin resistance (−32.3%), followed by caloric restriction alone (−19.6%), whereas time-restricted eating alone did not differ significantly from the control. Overall, interventions involving caloric restriction, either alone or combined with time-restricted eating, were associated with significant improvements in insulin resistance and glycemic control over the 12-week study period in obese adults with prediabetes https://www.foodandnutritionjournal.org/volume14number1/comparative-effects-of-time-restricted-eating-calorie-restriction-and-their-combination-on-glycemic-control-a-randomized-controlled-trial/ Caloric restriction HOMA-IR Obesity Prediabetes Time-restricted eating