A scientific discipline investigating the intricate relationship between the timing of food intake, the body’s internal circadian rhythms, and metabolic health outcomes. This approach recognizes that the physiological response to nutrients, including glucose tolerance and lipid metabolism, is temporally dependent on the master clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and peripheral clocks in metabolic organs. Aligning nutrient consumption with the natural rhythm of hormonal secretion and metabolic enzyme activity is the central tenet. Optimal chrononutrition strategies aim to enhance metabolic function and mitigate the risk of cardiometabolic diseases.
Origin
The term is a modern compound derived from the Greek words chronos (time) and nutrire (to nourish). It represents an intersection of the established fields of chronobiology and nutritional science, emerging as researchers recognized the profound impact of meal timing on metabolic homeostasis and the endocrine system. This area of study is relatively new in clinical application.
Mechanism
The mechanism is mediated by the rhythmic expression of “clock genes” in metabolically active tissues like the liver, pancreas, and adipose tissue. These genes regulate the daily cycles of hormone release, such as insulin and cortisol, and the activity of nutrient-processing enzymes. Consuming food at physiologically inappropriate times, such as late at night, can lead to a desynchronization between the central and peripheral clocks, thereby impairing insulin sensitivity and disrupting lipid processing.
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