Adv Nutr. 2019 Jan 1;10(1):30-42. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmy070.

Chronotype: Implications for Epidemiologic Studies on Chrono-Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Health.

Almoosawi S^1,², Vingeliene S³, Gachon F^4,⁵, Voortman T⁶, Palla L⁷, Johnston JD⁸, Van Dam RM⁹, Darimont C², Karagounis LG^2,^10,¹¹.

Author information

1: Brain, Performance, and Nutrition Research Center, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom.
2: Nestlé Research Center, Institute of Nutritional Sciences, Lausanne, Switzerland.
3: Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
4: School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
5: Department of Diabetes and Circadian Rhythms, Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Lausanne, Switzerland.
6: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
7: Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
8: Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom.
9: Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore.
10: Nestlé Health Science, Vevey, Switzerland.
11: Experimental Myology and Integrative Physiology Cluster, Plymouth Marjon University, Plymouth, United Kingdom.

Abstract

Chrono-nutrition is an emerging research field in nutritional epidemiology that encompasses 3 dimensions of eating behavior: timing, frequency, and regularity. To date, few studies have investigated how an individual's circadian typology, i.e., one's chronotype, affects the association between chrono-nutrition and cardiometabolic health. This review sets the directions for future research by providing a narrative overview of recent epidemiologic research on chronotype, its determinants, and its association with dietary intake and cardiometabolic health. Limited research was found on the association between chronotype and dietary intake in infants, children, and older adults. Moreover, most of the evidence in adolescents and adults was restricted to cross-sectional surveys with few longitudinal cohorts simultaneously collecting data on chronotype and dietary intake. There was a gap in the research concerning the association between chronotype and the 3 dimensions of chrono-nutrition. Whether chronotype modifies the association between diet and cardiometabolic health outcomes remains to be elucidated. In conclusion, further research is required to understand the interplay between chronotype, chrono-nutrition, and cardiometabolic health outcomes.