A new research study from the University of Surrey exposes that the body can predict the timing of regular meals, and day-to-day blood glucose rhythms might be affected by both meal timing and size. The research suggests that there is a physiological drive for individuals to consume at certain times as their bodies have actually been trained to anticipate food.
According to a recent research study from the University of Surrey, the human body has the capability to predict the timing of routine meals. The findings of the research study team recommend that the everyday rhythms of blood glucose levels might be influenced not just by the timing of meals but likewise by their part sizes.
A group of scientists at Surrey, led by Professor Jonathan Johnston, carried out a pioneering examination to figure out if the human circadian system is capable of expecting big meals. Circadian rhythms, which refer to physiological changes that occur in a 24-hour cycle and are typically integrated with environmental cues like light and darkness, incorporate a range of metabolic changes.
Previous studies in this field have focussed on animal controls and until now it has been undetermined whether human physiology can predict mealtimes and food availability.
Jonathan Johnston, Professor of Chronobiology, and Integrative Physiology at the University of Surrey stated: “We typically get hungry around the exact same time every day, however the extent to which our biology can prepare for mealtimes is unknown. It is possible that metabolic rhythms align to meal patterns and that regularity of meals will guarantee that we consume at the time when our bodies are best adapted to handle them.”
To read more, 24 male participants carried out an eight-day laboratory research study with rigorous sleep-wake schedules, exposure to light-dark cycles, and food consumption. For 6 days, 12 participants consumed small meals hourly throughout the waking period, with the remaining individuals consuming two big day-to-day meals (7.5 and 14.5 hours after waking).
After 6 days, all individuals were then put on the exact same feeding schedule for 37 hours and got little meals hourly in a treatment known to expose internal circadian rhythms. Glucose was measured every 15 minutes throughout the study, and cravings levels were determined hourly throughout waking hours on days 2 4 and 6 in the very first stage of the study and after that per hour for the final 37 hours.
Evaluating results of the first 6 days of the study, researchers discovered the glucose concentration of participants in the small meal group increased upon waking and stayed elevated throughout the day till declining after their last meal. In the big meal group, there was a similar boost in glucose concentration upon waking however there was a gradual decrease leading up to the first meal.
In the final 37 hours, when both groups were fed the very same little meals hourly, all participants displayed an initial rise in glucose concentration upon waking. However, in those who had formerly received two large meals, glucose levels began to decrease before the awaited big meal (which they did not get) whereas for participants who had constantly consumed small meals per hour, their glucose levels continued to increase as formerly seen. In addition, in the big meal group, there was a boost in appetite preceding predicted mealtimes which dramatically decreased after the expected mealtime had passed.
Professor Johnston included: “What we have actually discovered is that the human body is rhythmically set to expect mealtimes particularly when food is not easily available. This recommends that there is a physiological drive for some individuals to consume at particular times as their body has actually been trained to expect food rather than it simply being a mental routine.”
Reference: “Human glucose rhythms and subjective hunger anticipate meal timing” by Cheryl M. Isherwood, Daan R. van der Veen, Hana Hassanin, Debra J. Skene and Jonathan D. Johnston, 22 February 2023, Current Biology.DOI: 10.1016/ j.cub.2023.02.005.