A new study helps1 us gain insight into how fasting might affect less obvious parts of our health, specifically our cells’ internal clocks, which control our daily sleep-wake cycle. The results, which were recently published in Cell Metabolism, showed that 70% of genes responded in more than 22 regions of the body—including in the liver, stomach, brain, adrenals, heart, lungs, and intestines, among others—to time-restricted eating. The findings also showed that many of the areas in the body in charge of hormonal regulation, including the circadian rhythm (which is regulated by the hormones cortisol and melatonin) were affected by time-restricted feeding. This study shows that IF has a role to play in this 24-hour clock, as well as the way cells behave over time. As Satchidananda Panda, Ph.D., a senior author of the study, explains, “Circadian rhythms are everywhere in every cell.” And the results of this study showed that time-restricted feeding synchronized the circadian rhythm in cells in a way that promotes health. More specifically, the data showed that 40% of genes in three areas of the body (the adrenal gland, hypothalamus, and pancreas) were affected by time-restricted eating. “We found that time-restricted eating synchronized the circadian rhythms to have two major waves: one during fasting and another just after eating. We suspect this allows the body to coordinate different processes,” Panda continued. This coordination may be able to promote health and fend off disease. Previous research by the same authors showed that time-restricted eating could improve the health of firefighters, who often experience circadian rhythm disruptions due to their work schedules.
