Animals fed a high fat diet were limited to time restricted feeding during an eight hour period each day. The mice consumed the same number of calories as those allowed to eat all day and night yet they did not develop obesity or other health problems associated with the unrestricted mice. The time restricted feeding mice even developed improved motor coordination. The regimen also improved CREB, mTOR and AMPK anti-aging pathway functions and oscillations of the circadian clock and their target genes’ expression. These changes in catabolic and anabolic pathways altered liver metabolome, improved nutrient utilization and energy expenditure. The study demonstrated in mice that the time restricted feeding regimen is a non-pharmacological strategy against obesity and associated diseases.
Improvements were found in the time restricted feeding group in the following areas:
- Fatty acid metabolism, body weight and liver health
- Glucose metabolism and tolerance
- Overt rhythms and attenuated body weight gain
- CREB, mTOR and AMPK activities and in circadian oscillator
- Diurnal rhythms in metabolic regulators and the circadian oscillator
- Hepatic glucose metabolism
- Lipid homeostasis
- Bile acid production, adipose tissue homeostasis and inflammation alleviation
The published study can be viewed at Cell Metab. 2012 Jun 6; 15(6): 848?860
