How The Body Responds to Intermittent Fasting on A Molecular Level

 

Time-limited eating, according to researchers, can alter gene expression.

HIGHLIGHTS

The precise molecular effects of a time-limited diet have been demonstrated by research.

The most recent animal study sheds light on how those changes affect at least 22 organ systems.

Since numerous laboratory studies have demonstrated the health benefits of time-restricted eating, including increased life span, intermittent fasting has become a hot topic in the wellness industry.

However, the precise molecular mechanisms by which it affects the body and how those changes interact with multiple organ systems are still poorly understood.

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22 Brain and Body Regions Were Affected

Now, Salk researchers demonstrate in mice how time-restricted eating affects gene expression in more than 22 body and brain regions. The process by which genes are activated and respond to their environment by producing proteins is known as gene expression.

The findings, which were published on January 3, 2023, in Cell Metabolism, have implications for a wide range of health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and cancer, where time-restricted eating has shown potential benefits.

"Our findings pave the way for further investigation into the mechanism by which this nutritional intervention activates genes involved in specific diseases, such as cancer,"

Two groups of mice were fed the same high-calorie diet for the study. Free food was provided to one group. The other group was limited to eating during a nine-hour feeding window each day.

After seven weeks, genetic changes were examined in tissue samples taken from the brain and 22 organ groups at various times of day and night.

Time-Limited Eating Affects 70% of Genes

The liver, stomach, lungs, heart, adrenal gland, hypothalamus, various parts of the kidney and intestine, and various parts of the brain were all included in the samples.

70% of mouse genes respond to restricted eating, according to the researchers. "We were able to change the gene expression not only in the gut or the liver, but also in thousands of genes in the brain," Panda claims. We were able to do this by changing the timing of food."

Regulation of Hormones

Time-restricted eating had an impact on nearly 40% of genes in the adrenal gland, hypothalamus, and pancreas. Hormone regulation relies on these organs.

Hormone imbalance is linked to a wide range of illnesses, including diabetes and stress-related disorders. Hormones are responsible for coordinating functions in various parts of the body and brain. The findings provide advice on how to manage these diseases with time-limited eating.

It's interesting to note that not all parts of the digestive system were affected the same. Time-limited eating did not activate genes in the ileum, which is located at the lower end of the small intestine, but it did activate genes in the upper two parts of the intestine, the duodenum and the jejunum.

Periodic Cycles

This finding may signal the beginning of a new area of investigation into the effects of shift work, which disrupts our circadian rhythm, our 24-hour biological clock, on digestive disorders and cancers. Panda's team's previous research demonstrated that firefighters' health improved when they were restricted in their food intake for specific amounts of time.

Multiple organs' circadian rhythms were found to be aligned when time-restricted eating was practiced, according to the researchers.

According to Panda, "Circadian rhythms are everywhere in every cell." We discovered that time-restricted eating caused the circadian rhythms to be synchronized into two major waves: one while fasting, and another immediately following a meal. We speculate that this permits the body to coordinate various processes.

Atherosclerosis, which is a hardening of the arteries that is frequently a precursor to heart disease and stroke, as well as chronic kidney disease, are among the conditions or systems that are implicated in the study. Panda's team will then conduct a more in-depth investigation into the effects of time-restricted eating on these conditions or systems.