Meal frequency and timing in health and disease
- PMID: 25404320
- PMCID: PMC4250148
- DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1413965111
Meal frequency and timing in health and disease
Abstract
Although major research efforts have focused on how specific components of foodstuffs affect health, relatively little is known about a more fundamental aspect of diet, the frequency and circadian timing of meals, and potential benefits of intermittent periods with no or very low energy intakes. The most common eating pattern in modern societies, three meals plus snacks every day, is abnormal from an evolutionary perspective. Emerging findings from studies of animal models and human subjects suggest that intermittent energy restriction periods of as little as 16 h can improve health indicators and counteract disease processes. The mechanisms involve a metabolic shift to fat metabolism and ketone production, and stimulation of adaptive cellular stress responses that prevent and repair molecular damage. As data on the optimal frequency and timing of meals crystalizes, it will be critical to develop strategies to incorporate those eating patterns into health care policy and practice, and the lifestyles of the population.
Keywords: circadian rhythm; feeding behavior; metabolism; obesity; time-restricted feeding.
Conflict of interest statement
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Figures
Similar articles
-
The Influence of Meal Frequency and Timing on Health in Humans: The Role of Fasting.Nutrients. 2019 Mar 28;11(4):719. doi: 10.3390/nu11040719. Nutrients. 2019. PMID: 30925707 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Impact of intermittent fasting on health and disease processes.Ageing Res Rev. 2017 Oct;39:46-58. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2016.10.005. Epub 2016 Oct 31. Ageing Res Rev. 2017. PMID: 27810402 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Eating meals before wheel-running exercise attenuate high fat diet-driven obesity in mice under two meals per day schedule.Chronobiol Int. 2015 Jun;32(5):677-86. doi: 10.3109/07420528.2015.1035439. Epub 2015 Jun 2. Chronobiol Int. 2015. PMID: 26035481
-
Combination of meal and exercise timing with a high-fat diet influences energy expenditure and obesity in mice.Chronobiol Int. 2014 Nov;31(9):959-75. doi: 10.3109/07420528.2014.935785. Epub 2014 Jul 9. Chronobiol Int. 2014. PMID: 25007387
-
Timing of food intake and obesity: a novel association.Physiol Behav. 2014 Jul;134:44-50. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.01.001. Epub 2014 Jan 24. Physiol Behav. 2014. PMID: 24467926 Review.
Cited by
-
The Impact of Exercise on Interleukin-6 to Counteract Immunosenescence: Methodological Quality and Overview of Systematic Reviews.Healthcare (Basel). 2024 May 7;12(10):954. doi: 10.3390/healthcare12100954. Healthcare (Basel). 2024. PMID: 38786366 Free PMC article. Review.
-
It's About Timing: Contrasting the Metabolic Effects of Early vs. Late Time-Restricted Eating in Humans.Curr Nutr Rep. 2024 Jun;13(2):214-239. doi: 10.1007/s13668-024-00532-0. Epub 2024 Apr 16. Curr Nutr Rep. 2024. PMID: 38625630 Review.
-
Household food security, child dietary diversity and coping strategies among rural households. The case of Kole District in northern Uganda.Dialogues Health. 2023 Jul 28;3:100149. doi: 10.1016/j.dialog.2023.100149. eCollection 2023 Dec. Dialogues Health. 2023. PMID: 38515798 Free PMC article.
-
Design and Rationale of Prolonged Nightly Fasting for Multiple Myeloma Prevention (PROFAST): Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.JMIR Res Protoc. 2024 Mar 11;13:e51368. doi: 10.2196/51368. JMIR Res Protoc. 2024. PMID: 38466984 Free PMC article.
-
One Health: Circadian Medicine Benefits Both Non-human Animals and Humans Alike.J Biol Rhythms. 2024 Jun;39(3):237-269. doi: 10.1177/07487304241228021. Epub 2024 Feb 20. J Biol Rhythms. 2024. PMID: 38379166 Free PMC article. Review.
References
-
- Metz MC, Smith DW, Vucetich JA, Stahler DR, Peterson RO. Seasonal patterns of predation for gray wolves in the multi-prey system of Yellowstone National Park. J Anim Ecol. 2012;81(3):553–563. - PubMed
-
- Cordain L, Eaton SB, Miller JB, Mann N, Hill K. The paradoxical nature of hunter-gatherer diets: Meat-based, yet non-atherogenic. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2002;56(Suppl 1):S42–S52. - PubMed
Publication types
MeSH terms
Grants and funding
- P01AG034906/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States
- R01 DK099512/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States
- R01DK091618/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States
- R01HL106228/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States
- R01 NS041012/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States
- P30 DK072476/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States
- P01 AG034906/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States
- R01NS041012/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States
- R01NS055195/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States
- R01 HL106228/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States
- Intramural NIH HHS/United States
- R01 NS055195/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States
- R01DK099512/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States
- P30DK056336/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States
- R01 DK091618/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States
- P30DK072476/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States
- P30 DK056336/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Research Materials