Metabolic and reward feeding synchronises the rhythmic brain.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of animal and mechanistic studies without new human data
PubMed 20563601 · doi:10.1007/s00441-010-1001-9
What was done
Narrative review synthesizing evidence on how metabolic feeding through timed calorie restriction and reward-related feeding through palatable food synchronize the master circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei and secondary brain clocks in animal models.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data. It describes that timed calorie restriction modifies suprachiasmatic clockwork and increases light synchronization under light-dark cycles. A daily chocolate snack in chow-fed animals entrains the suprachiasmatic clockwork only in constant darkness and decreases the synchronizing effects of light. Brain regions outside the suprachiasmatic nuclei respond heterogeneously to meal timing, and anticipation of meals engages a network involving metabolic, reward, and cerebellar brain structures.
Why it matters
This review outlines how feeding schedules and dietary reward interact with central and secondary circadian oscillators independently of or in conjunction with light cues.
Limits
The abstract provides no sample sizes, quantitative effect estimates, or systematic search methods. Findings are derived from animal models, limiting direct translation to human circadian physiology.
Cited by
- supports Food intake is the primary signal that resets peripheral circadian clocks in organs such as the liver, whereas light resets the master clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus.