Time-limited eating affects the genes in mice – can help in the fight against various diseases – news Trøndelag

Fasting diets are in the wind. And several studies have shown that time-limited eating can be good for our health. It can be beneficial both for weight, blood pressure and fat percentage. Now researchers in the USA have found further benefits with such a systematic intake of food. Using mouse studies, they have looked at what this can lead to on a molecular level. And have found that time-limited eating affects the genes of the animals. This in turn may have significance for a number of diseases, believe the researchers behind the new study. They mention, among other things, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Influenced the genes to a large extent The mouse study was carried out in the following way: The animals were divided into two different groups. Both groups received the same high-calorie diet. One group of mice was given free access to food, while the other was restricted. They were only allowed to eat for nine consecutive hours a day. After seven weeks, a number of tissue samples were taken from various organs in the body of the experimental animals. The samples were collected at different times during the day. They were then analyzed to find any genetic changes. Samples were taken from, among other things, the liver, adrenal glands, hypothalamus, kidneys and intestine. The researchers found that 70 percent of the genes in mice were affected by time-restricted eating. Humans share about 90 percent of their genes with mice. Hormones and disease Professor Satchidananda Panda is the author of the study. He says they made several interesting discoveries. – By changing the time of food intake, we were able to change the gene expression in both the gut, the liver and in thousands of genes in the brains of the animals. Furthermore, he says that almost 40 per cent of the genes in the adrenal glands, hypothalamus and pancreas were affected. These are organs that are important in the regulation of hormones. And this can be of great help, the researchers believe. Because it has long been known that hormonal imbalance is involved in a number of diseases – from diabetes to stress disorders. Now they hope the results can provide knowledge about how fasting diets can help deal with such diseases. The illustration attempts to show how the interconnected organ systems in the body work in tandem with time-limited eating. Photo: Salk Institute More benefits found The researchers also found that time-limited eating adjusted the circadian rhythm of several organs in the body. – Circadian rhythms exist in every cell. We saw that food intake synchronized the circadian rhythm in two waves: One during fasting and one immediately after intake. We believe this leads to the body being able to coordinate various processes, says Panda. Now the researchers want to delve deeper into the topic. In the next round, they want to take a closer look at the effect of time-limited eating on specific conditions in the body. Like atherosclerosis. This is often a precursor to heart disease and stroke. Professor Satchidanananda Panda. Photo: Salk Institute



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