Chrono-nutrition, there is a timer inside us

(ANSA) - MILAN - The circadian rhythm, written in our DNA, tells us when to sleep, eat and perform physical activity, thus destining us to be early risers (morning chronotype) or night owls (evening chronotype). However, among those who wake up early and those who prefer the small hours, science seems to favor the former.

A recent publication led by Nestlé Research has revealed that night owls may have a higher risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes than early risers, as they tend to have less healthy nutritional patterns that do not respect the three dimensions of eating behavior. - timing, frequency and regularity - and therefore the biological and metabolic rhythms of our organism (chrono-nutrition).

"This study confirms the data from many other chrononutrition studies. It is important to understand that the evening chronotype's habit of going to sleep late is not secondary to its bad eating habits, in fact, it is just going to sleep late or eating night that misaligns the metabolic balance dictated by circadian rhythms. Our biological clocks synchronize metabolic systems to make them efficient and functional in the daytime to let us rest at night. If we invert our activities, we create the phenomenon of 'chronodisruption' directly related to metabolic disorders, obesity and cardiovascular diseases ", explains Professor Luca Piretta, gastroenterologist and nutritionist, of the Campus Biomedico of Rome. (ANSA).