Progress in Circadian Rhythm Effects on Human Metabolism and Emotion
TL;DR
Interventions based on rhythms, such as time-restricted eating (TRE) and the light management, show preliminary evidence-based support in improving weight, blood sugar, mood, and quality of life.
Abstract
The circadian rhythm is an endogenous timing system that precisely regulates physiological processes related to metabolism and emotions through a hierarchical network of the main clock in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and peripheral tissue clocks. Disruptions in the rhythm caused by modern lifestyles (such as shift work, night lighting, and irregular eating) are significantly associated with diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and depression. Abnormalities in core clock genes, inflammation activation, insulin resistance and dysregulation of the gut-brain axis constitute a shared pathway for the metabolic-emotional comorbidity. Interventions based on rhythms, such as time-restricted eating (TRE)and the light management, show preliminary evidence-based support in improving weight, blood sugar, mood, and quality of life. In the future, high-quality, large-sample randomized controlled trials are needed to verify the long-term efficacy and safety of these interventions, and to further clarify the optimal time windows, target populations, and combined intervention models for individualized protocols, thereby promoting the translational application of circadian rhythm-based strategies in precision medicine.