A new study in mice has found time-restricted eating (TRE) affects the expression of genes in ‘22 diverse tissues all over the body’, including the brain, heart, lungs, liver and gut – and adds to evidence TRE may promote longevity and have cancer-fighting effects.
A new study in mice has found time-restricted eating (TRE) affects the expression of genes in ‘22 diverse tissues all over the body’, including the brain, heart, lungs, liver and gut – and adds to evidence TRE may promote longevity and have cancer- fighting effects.
TRE limits eating during the day to a regular ‘window’ between 8-10 hours, during which people can eat what they want (including snacks and sugary drinks) but must fast for the rest of the 24-hour cycle.
Previously reported benefits of TRE include improvements in sleep overweight and obesity control, blood glucose regulation, cardiac function and gut health.
The new US study by scientists at California’s Salk institute for Biological Studies, published in Cell Metabolism, allowed a control group of mice to eat whenever they liked, while a second group only had access to food during a 9-hour period; both groups ate the equivalent of a western diet and consumed the same number of calories overall.
After 7 weeks, researchers took tissue samples from 22 organs and brain regions (including stomach, intestines, liver, lungs, heart, adrenal gland, hypothalamus, kidney
and brain) every 2 hours over a 24-hour period.
Compared with the control group, TRE changed overall gene expression (the rate at which genes generate proteins) or the rhythmic activity of around 80% of all mouse genes. Importantly, TRE reduced the activity of genes which play a role in inflammation and increased the activity of those involved in autophagy (recycling old and damaged cell parts).
Increased inflammation and reduced autophagy are recognised hallmarks of biological ageing, and study senior author Professor Satchidananda Panda told medicalnewstoday.com: ‘Increased autophagy (only during the fasting period) is known to improve health by preventing and managing age-related diseases and increasing healthspan.
‘Our results open the door for looking more closely at how this nutritional intervention activates genes involved in specific diseases, such as cancer.’
In another recent trial, professor Panda and colleagues reported a TRE diet improved the physical and mental health of firefighters who work regular 24-hour shifts; however this kind of diet is likely to be beneficial for everyone – not just shift workers’, he noted.
The latest study authors concluded: ‘our study will serve as an important resource to explain the effects of TRE on pre-clinical animal models of chronic metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer, thus providing Justification for ongoing and future clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of TRE in the prevention and management of chronic diseases.’
