The Present and Future of Chrono-nutrition Studies

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Background

The circadian clock plays an important role in maintaining homeostasis by regulating the diurnal rhythms of various physiological functions. The circadian clock controls eating patterns, and eating nutrients itself further regulates the circadian clock. Hormones, the nervous system, specific nutrients, and the intestinal microbiota have been found to be involved in these adjustments. It is also evident from human and animal studies that disruption of the clock, eating late at night, or breakfast skipping can lead to obesity and diabetes. In addition, time-restricted eating/feeding promotes daily fasting and enhances clock function to prevent metabolic disorder. In the field of nutrition, the timing of food/nutrition has not been discussed much. Therefore, " chrono-nutrition" was established as a new discipline that considers the content and timing of food from the perspective of chronobiology.

The molecular mechanisms of the mammalian circadian clock have been well understood in the last two decades. However, the mechanism of regulation of the circadian clock by the environmental factors, such as food, has not been fully elucidated. In addition, the mechanisms in the brain that produce the feeding rhythm, the rhythmic interaction between the gut-brain, the circadian regulation of appetite, and clock disruption in the metabolic disorders or other diseases are yet to be fully understood. "Chrono-nutrition" is a novel research topic to understand those interactions. As chrono-nutrition, the best recipe for when and what to eat has yet to be perfected. Furthermore, dietary suggestions should be tailored to the individual when considering chronotype, age, gender, social background, and genetic background. There is still lack of human data to address these issues.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, this research topic welcomes submissions from various research areas. It is important that for the future development of chrono-nutrition, further accumulation of scientific evidence is essential. We welcome submissions from basic research such as animal experiments, in vitro experiments, and mathematical modeling, as well as applied research such as human studies and intervention studies. We also welcome submissions of mini-reviews that summarize the findings to date in each topic. In particular, we welcome research on the timing and content of meals related to chrono-nutrition and the development of functional foods. In human studies, we are happy to discuss chrono-nutritional approaches, including food culture in different countries.

Keywords: Circadian clock, clock gene, eat timing, eating behavior, apetite, sleep, chronotype, obesity, diabetes, weight manegement, aging, liver, intestine, metabolism, microbiome, time-restricted feeding, macronutritent, micronutrient, food anticipatory activity, suprachiasmatic nucleus, hypothalamus, dopamine, leptin, insulin

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