The Time of Day of Food Intake Influences Overall Intake in Humans

Abstract

Circadian and diurnal rhythms affect food intake, and earlier research has suggested that meal sizes increase, whereas the after-meal intervals and satiety ratios decrease over the day. We hypothesized that the time of day of food intake would be related to total intake such that intake early in the day would tend to reduce overall intake, whereas intake later in the day would tend to increase intake over the entire day. The intakes of 375 male and 492 female free-living individuals, previously obtained via 7-d diet diaries, were reanalyzed. The total and meal intakes of food energy, the amounts of the macronutrients ingested and the density of intake occurring during five 4-h periods (0600-0959, 1000-1359, 1400-1759, 1800-2159 and 2200-0159 h) were identified and related to overall and meal intakes during the entire day. The proportion of intake in the morning was negatively correlated with overall intake (r=-0.13, P<0.01), whereas the proportion ingested late in the evening was positively correlated with overall intake (r=0.14, P<0.01). The energy densities of intake during all periods of the day were positively related to overall intake (range, r=0.13-0.23, P<0.01). The results suggest that low energy density intake during any portion of the day can reduce overall intake, that intake in the morning is particularly satiating and can reduce the total amount ingested for the day, and that intake in the late night lacks satiating value and can result in greater overall daily intake.

Morning Meal More Efficient for Fat Loss in a 3-Month Lifestyle Intervention

“…In previous studies [14] it was established that the higher the proportion of total food intake ingested in the morning the lower the daily intake, whereas the higher the proportion of total intake ingested in the late evening the higher the daily intake. These results suggest that intake during the morning is associated with lower intake throughout the day, whereas intake late at night is associated with higher levels of overall daily intake.…”

“…There are substantial and important changes in ingestive behavior that occur over the course of the day, but little is known regarding how the timing of nutrient ingestion impacts body weight. By analyzing 7-day diet diaries of 867 free-living individuals using epidemiological studies, De Castro suggested that 150% of energy is commonly ingested in the evening meals compared to morning meals [14]. As the calories of the meal increases during the day, the time before eating again decreases because food intake in the morning is particularly satiating, whereas food intake late at night is not satiating and can lead to greater overall energy intake [15,16].…”

Transtornos alimentares e padrão circadiano alimentar: uma revisão

“…O horário das refeições pode ser relacionado com a ingestão total durante o dia. Os resultados desses estudos sugerem que ingerir um valor calórico maior pela manhã (ou primeira parte do dia) pode resultar em uma diminuição da ingestão total durante o dia, enquanto a ingestão de uma grande quantidade energética à noite pode resultar em um aumento do total da ingestão 43 .…”

Impact of the daily meal pattern on energy balance

“…A recent study of 867 healthy adults (36.3-yearold, BMI 24.5 on average) who filled out 7 day diet diaries established that the proportion of daily intake ingested in the morning correlates negatively with total daily energy intake, while the proportion ingested late in the day correlates positively with overall energy intake (51). In other words, people who eat early eat less, while people who eat late eat more.…”