Chrononutrition and its relation with obesity: A systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: The circadian rhythm is responsible for regulating important metabolic and endocrine functions. “Chrononu-trition” explains the importance of time and types of food based on circadian rhythm. Obesity is one of the biggest public health problems. Objective: To describe the relation between chrono-nutrition and obesity. Methods: A systematic review was performed using PubMed, Scielo and Medline databases of articles published between 2014 to 2019 in humans. Ni-neteen articles were obtained and four articles met inclusion criteria. Results: Higher Body Mass Index (BMI) and weight circumference (WC) values were observed in people who skipped breakfast and ate less than 3 hours before bed. Children 4 years of age with higher energy intakes at lunch and dinner were more likely to be overweight or obese at 7 years. Skipping breakfast and eating dinner later was negatively associated with body weight. Among adolescents, eating main meals late was associated with an increase in BMI and WC. In normal weight subjects, regardless of whether they ate early or late, if eating was aligned with their circadian rhythm, they did not suffer major changes in weight. This was not the case for subjects with excess weight. Conclusions: A diet not aligned with the circadian rhythm, may increase the probability of generating obesity in the medium and long term. However, evidence is still needed.