September 15, 2023 – Our internal body clock, or circadian rhythm, helps us feel alert through the day and drained at night. But traveling, shift work, caring for a newborn, or the rest that throws off your sleep schedule can throw this delicate system out of whack.
In the short term, this will result in fatigue, insomnia or stomach problems. But the evidence suggests so that the consequences may turn out to be more severe and increasing over time Health risks similar to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, depressionand cancer.
Experts often recommend exposure to light to minimize the consequences. However, research shows that the timing of meals may be just as necessary. A study published this month in chaos suggests that a big meal early within the morning may very well be crucial.
“Both our study and experimental evidence suggest this is the case [light and feeding] “Synchronized cues – such as avoiding late-night eating – are beneficial,” said the study’s lead writer Yitong HuangPhD, researcher within the Department of Molecular Biosciences at Northwestern University.
What the researchers did
Much research on circadian rhythms has focused on the “central” internal clock, situated in a component of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus. The central clock reacts to sunlight. But research during the last 20 years has shown that the circadian system encompasses not only one internal clock, but many. These clocks are present in almost every cell and tissue and calibrate to different signals, Huang said. Many organs get well with meals.
The researchers developed a theoretical mathematical model that allowed them to take a brand new approach: studying how these clocks interact not only with external cues, but in addition with one another.
“Our study considers two clock populations,” Huang said — one which responds to light (the brain) and one other that responds to food (the liver).
In the study, researchers conducted simulations of a traveler traveling from New York to Paris (a time difference of 6 hours).
- Failure to regulate meal times to accommodate the brand new time zone resulted in a 9 day jet lag recovery.
- By spacing three meals during light hours, the recovery time was shortened to six days.
- Doubling the scale of breakfast and skipping dinner for the primary three days accelerated recovery even further, to five days.
The researchers concluded that eating a big meal early within the morning helps balance the body's clocks and combat the consequences of jet lag.
“Eating at night activates the liver clock at a time when… [brain] “The clock wants to rest,” the researchers write within the study.
The reason for a giant breakfast
The findings are based on increasing evidence that eating more within the morning than within the evening is sweet for us. Not only can it boost our internal clock, but it might probably even be helpful Reduce body weight and improve blood sugar, Research shows.
psychiatrist Alex DimitriuMD, founding father of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine in Menlo Park, California, who was not involved within the study, points out previous research on mice.
“Mice are typically nocturnal creatures, and some studies have found that they are awake during the day when food is available,” Dimitriu said. “In mice, food-seeking behavior promotes alertness, and this recent study suggests the same may be true in humans.”
This also falls in keeping with advice from sleep experts to avoid large meals before bed, said Dimitriu, who has found that his patients sleep best once they eat less after sunset and have an everyday breakfast.
How big should the breakfast be? Further research is required to link the study's model to specific calorie counts for humans, Huang said. But it’s also possible to have a look at it in perspective: simply plan your every day calories so that you just eat more earlier within the day and fewer within the evening.
The researchers plan to conduct further experiments with their mathematical model. Ultimately, his predictions may lead to recent interventions and even an app that recommends optimal meal times, Huang said.
“Because meal plans are often easier to customize,” Huang said, “we believe this model paves the way for more personalized intervention strategies.”