Chrono-nutrition: a review of current evidence from observational studies on global trends in time-of-day of energy intake and its association with obesity

Abstract

The importance of the circadian rhythm in regulating human food intake behaviour and metabolism has long been recognised. However, little is known as to how energy intake is distributed over the day in existing populations, and its potential association with obesity. The present review describes global trends in time-of-day of energy intake in the general population based on data from cross-sectional surveys and longitudinal cohorts. Evidence of the association between time-of-day of energy intake and obesity is also summarised. Overall, there were a limited number of cross-sectional surveys and longitudinal cohorts that provided data on time-of-day of energy intake. In the identified studies, a wide variation in time-of-day of energy intake was observed, with patterns of energy distribution varying greatly by country and geographical area. In relation to obesity, eight cross-sectional surveys and two longitudinal cohorts were identified. The association between time-of-day of energy intake and obesity varied widely, with several studies reporting a positive link between evening energy intake and obesity. In conclusion, the current review summarises global trends in time-of-day of energy intake. The large variations across countries and global regions could have important implications to health, emphasising the need to understand the socio-environmental factors guiding such differences in eating patterns. Evidence of the association between time-of-day of energy intake and BMI also varied. Further larger scale collaborations between various countries and regions are needed to sum data from existing surveys and cohorts, and guide our understanding of the role of chrono-nutrition in health.

Short-term effects of green tea chronotherapy on the metabolic homeostasis of mice on different diets

“…This change is likely instigated by the reduction in stored fat that occurs through the decreased food intake. Although the role that the circadian rhythm plays in food intake behavior and in maintaining metabolism is widely recognized (Almoosawi et al, 2016), the mechanisms by which green tea regulates food intake do not seem to be governed by circadian rhythms: in the current study, all groups exhibited lower food intake, regardless of the type of diet or the time at which green tea was consumed.…”

Temporal eating patterns: a latent class analysis approach

“…Existing research examining patterning of EOs is diverse, and covers a range of concepts including EO frequency and spacing, meal regularity, timing and skipping or temporal eating patterns [2]. “Temporal eating patterns” refers to the timing, frequency and regularity of food intake or EOs across the day [4]. This emerging field of research on the timing of food intake is known as “chrono-nutrition [4, 5].…”

Temporal eating patterns: associations with nutrient intakes, diet quality, and measures of adiposity

“…There is also evidence to suggest that weight gain in shift workers may be related to poor diet quality (8,9). However, little research has examined temporal eating patterns in relation to dietary intakes and health outcomes in non-shift-work populations (10). Several epidemiologic studies have reported a positive association between evening energy intakes (EIs) and daily total EIs (11,12) and obesity (10,13).…”

“…However, little research has examined temporal eating patterns in relation to dietary intakes and health outcomes in non-shift-work populations (10). Several epidemiologic studies have reported a positive association between evening energy intakes (EIs) and daily total EIs (11,12) and obesity (10,13). The later timing of an EO has also been associated with higher total EIs (14) and less successful weight loss (15).…”

“…Intervention studies in this area vary with respect to the populations, temporal eating patterns, and risk factors examined (16). Furthermore, most studies that examined temporal eating patterns focused on the timing of EOs at isolated time periods of the day, and this approach disregards EOs at other times of the day (10). The need for research that examines temporal eating patterns in the context of both EO timing and frequency across the day was also highlighted in a recent scientific statement from the American Heart Association (16).…”