cronotype and power supply: a bond that has been the focus of numerous studies in recent years. Not surprisingly, more and more often, dietary approaches also take into account the “meal timing”that is to say the time at which a meal is eaten.
And this for a specific reason: the our biological clockin fact, would be implicated in the regulation of numerous physiological processes, including the hunger-satiety cycle.
Chronotype: what it is
Before understanding how the chronotype may influence eating habits it is useful to clarify what is meant by this term. The word chronotype, from the Greek chronos (time) and type, indicates the individual manifestation of circadian rhythms. The chronotype is a complex phenotype that indicates the individual inclination to the rhythms of sleep and wakefulness within 24 hours. People with morning chronotype they wake up early in the morning, are more active in the first part of the day and go to bed early in the evening. Land people with evening chronotype, on the contrary, they prefer to stay up late and are more active in the second part of the day.
According to recent scientific evidence, i subjects with evening chronotype seem to have worse eating habits and to go encounter more easily various chronic pathologiessuch as cardiovascular, oncological and mental diseases, including depression.
Chronotype and nutrition: a new study
It was especially a new studyrealized by Sofia Lotti and her research group of the University of Florence and presented at the XLIII National Congress of SINU (Italian Society of Human Nutrition)to investigate the role of chronotype on body composition, dietary habits and cardiometabolic risk parameters in overweight and obese subjects.
Participants were recruited at the Clinical Nutrition Unit of the Careggi University Hospital in Florence, from March to April 2023. During the visit, each participant underwent an assessment of body composition and a blood sample. The individual chronotype was defined using a questionnaire, the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ). With a food frequency questionnaire and through the compiling a 3-day food diary, the researchers simultaneously collected information on eating habits.
Evening chronotype: more calories per day
From the analysis of eating habits it emerged that i subjects with evening chronotype consumed significantly more calories per day compared to mornings. Not only that, the interesting aspect is that the Caloric distribution of meals changed according to circadian preferencewith i evenings consuming significantly more calories at lunch (+88 kcal) and at dinner (+166 kcal) compared to matins. From what has emerged, the evening subjects also demonstrated that follow a diet significantly higher in carbohydrates (+40 g/day) and fat (+13 g/day), due to higher consumption of sugary drinks, fast food and sweets.
Those who tend to stay up late have worse eating habits
Analyzing the time of consumption of meals it emerged that subjects with evening chronotype tended to also consume all meals later than in the mornings.
Although no significant differences emerged for body composition among the different chronotypes, the study results have however associated evening subjects with worse eating habits both in terms of dietary qualitywhich in terms of meal timing, eating more total daily calories, fat and carbohydrates, and eating meals at later times. In addition, the evening subjects reported llower blood levels of folic acid and vitamin B12. These eating behaviors can have therefore negative implications for the health of subjects in the evening. Hence the need, the researchers emphasize, to conduct future studies to develop personalized food strategies that take into account the chronotype.
Chronotype and nutrition: how important is meal timing?
From the point of view of health, therefore, it is not only important what you eat but also the time when you eat?
“Yes, it is important because food intake influences the synchronization of our circadian rhythm – explains Dr. Sofia Lotti, PhD candidate, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine of the University of Florence and SINU Youth Work Group (Italian Society of Human Nutrition). – To better understand what it is, we have to think about the circadian rhythm like a biological clock internal present in every human being, from the 24-hour period and responsible for the sleep-wake cyclesthe blood pressurethe body temperatureThe metabolismi hormone levels and many others”.
Eating late: here are the effects
«The recruitment of meals irregularly or at late times can determine an alteration of circadian rhythms – continues the expert. – A known condition as “chrono-disruption”which leads to an increased risk of numerous diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, obesity and diabetes.
Daily calorie intake: how it should be distributed
It is therefore important to keep in mind that the calories introduced during the day must also have one correct distribution?
«Many scientific societies suggest that the daily caloric intake should be distributed as follows: 15-20% calories for breakfast, 35-40% calories for lunch, 30-35% calories for dinner and 5% for mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks – explains Dr. Lotti again. – This distribution, however, it does not take into account individual circadian rhythms and the reason is the following: being the chrono-nutrition an extremely emerging branch of researchthere is not enough evidence to allow us to define a different caloric intake according to one’s “rhythm”.
Circadian rhythms and hunger-satiety cycle
Can circadian rhythms also influence the hunger-satiety cycle? And how?
“Certainly. There is a master biological clock in the hypothalamus (called “masterclock”) which synchronizes circadian rhythms e adapts our physiology to the different phases of the day – explains the expert – When is the time to take food, the master clock generates an anticipatory activity to prepare the organs of the gastrointestinal tract for the digestion and absorption of nutrients. In particular, causes an increase in appetitepromotes the secretion of digestive enzymes and increases intestinal motility».
How much time should pass between one meal and another
So there is a ideal time frame that should be respected between one meal and another?
«If we take into consideration the available scientific literature, we come to the conclusion that it is not possible to define a unique rule – concludes Dr. Lotti. – The amount of time that must elapse between one meal and the next in fact, it depends on the quality and quantity of food previously consumed and on the needs of each one. The important thing is to try to eat at set times, maintaining a certain regularity and choosing the foods in order to obtain a balanced and varied food plan».
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