Recent research in chrononutrition reveals that meal timing can significantly affect health outcomes. Intermittent fasting regimens offer a simplified dietary approach that can enhance weight management and overall health without the burden of calorie counting, particularly benefiting those with limited resources.
A special issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics on chrononutrition clarifies the science behind the effectiveness of fasting regimes.
Recent research explores how aligning meal times with our biological clocks can improve health, focusing on intermittent fasting’s role in weight management and metabolic health without the need for calorie counting.
Accumulating research on the timing of meals in relation to our circadian rhythms and metabolism suggests that the timing of our food intake could impact our health and well-being. A special issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (JAND) on chrononutrition, published by Elsevier, examines the effects of various fasting regimens and covers safety considerations and practical guidance.
The field of chrononutrition is gaining traction as it explores the relationship between temporal eating patterns, circadian rhythms, and metabolism for optimal health.
Guest Editor Krista Varady, PhD, Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition, University of Illinois Chicago, specializes in studying the efficacy of intermittent fasting for weight loss, weight management, and lowering the risk of metabolic diseases in obese adults. With more than 15 years of research experience, she is recognized as one of the top researchers in this field.
Dr. Varady says, “Intermittent fasting has emerged as one of the most popular diets for weight loss in recent years. The diet can be defined, in basic terms, as periods of eating, alternated with periods of not eating. This special issue examines the effects of various fasting regimens, such as time-restricted eating, alternate-day fasting, and the 5:2 diet, on body weight, cardiometabolic disease risk, and sleep and exercise performance in human subjects. Pertinent safety considerations and practical guidance on applying the diets are also covered.”
Clinical Implications and Studies
Editor-in-Chief of JAND, Linda G. Snetselaar, PhD, RDN, FAND, LD, a professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial of Late 8-Hour Time-Restricted Eating for Adolescents With Type 2 Diabetes,” in which researchers examine the feasibility of eating within an 8-hour window as an interventional strategy for weight loss and glucose management among adolescents diagnosed with obesity and new-onset type 2 diabetes, compared with a prolonged eating window.
Lead investigator Alaina P. Vidmar, MD, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Keck School of Medicine of Indices of Sleep Health Are Associated With Timing and Duration of Eating in Young Adults,” details findings from a cross-sectional study among 52 young adults without chronic diseases or conditions on whether timing and/or duration of eating behaviors throughout the day affect sleep health.
Lead investigator Jess A. Gwin, PhD, Military Nutrition Division, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, says, “Breakfast skipping and nighttime eating are among typical eating behaviors observed in young adults in the United States. Our study found that the timing of eating was associated with sleep-wake onset and sleep efficiency. This highlights the need for additional studies to understand whether manipulating the timing of eating occasions to better align with sleep-wake cycles could improve sleep health.”
Interventions tailored to individuals’ preferences and circumstances may benefit time-restricted eating adherence, according to the article “Time-Restricted Eating in Community-Dwelling Adults: Correlates of Adherence and Discontinuation in a Cross-Sectional Online Survey Study.” Leader of the research team Sydney G. O’Connor, PhD, Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2023.10.012
“Indices of Sleep Health Are Associated With Timing and Duration of Eating in Young Adults” by Charlotte A. Griffith, Heather J. Leidy and Jess A. Gwin, 30 April 2024, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2024.04.016
“Time-Restricted Eating in Community-Dwelling Adults: Correlates of Adherence and Discontinuation in a Cross-Sectional Online Survey Study” by Caitlin P. Bailey, Patrick Boyd, Marissa M. Shams-White, Susan M. Czajkowski, Linda Nebeling, Jill Reedy and Sydney G. O’Connor, 16 December 2023, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2023.12.006
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