Aligning Diet with Circadian Rhythms for Enhanced Autophagy and Longevity
Diet and circadian rhythms significantly influence our health, aging process, and disease risk. The paper delves into how irregular eating patterns, like skipping breakfast or late-night meals, negatively impact metabolism, increasing cardiovascular and metabolic disease risks. Circadian rhythm disturbances are linked to various diseases, including atherosclerosis and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
The research highlights how a diet aligned with circadian rhythms can positively affect lipid, glucose, and amino acid metabolism. This alignment activates autophagy, a cellular process where cells remove damaged components, thus promoting cognitive function and potentially extending lifespan. Key molecular mechanisms involved include AMPK, mTOR, D-BHB, and NPY.
Furthermore, such a diet increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the brain's forebrain region. This enhances synaptic plasticity, crucial for learning and memory, and further supports cognitive function. The study suggests that circadian rhythm-aligned diets could be a non-pharmacological approach to prevent and improve cognitive dysfunction and promote longevity.
Article Information
A circadian rhythm-restricted diet regulates autophagy to improve cognitive function and prolong lifespan
BioScience Trends. Xiqi Hu et al.
Abstract
Diet and circadian rhythms have been found to have a profound impact on health, disease, and aging. Skipping breakfast, eating late, and overeating have adverse effects on the body's metabolism and increase the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Disturbance of circadian rhythms has been associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other diseases. Abnormal deposition of amyloid β (Aβ) and tau proteins in the brain and impaired synaptic function are linked to cognitive dysfunction. A restrictive diet following the circadian rhythm can affect the metabolism of lipids, glucose, and amino acids such as branched chain amino acids and cysteine. These metabolic changes contribute to autophagy through molecular mechanisms such as adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), rapamycin (mTOR), D-β-hydroxybutyrate (D-BHB), and neuropeptide Y (NPY). Autophagy, in turn, promotes the removal of abnormally deposited proteins and damaged organelles and improves cognitive function, ultimately prolonging lifespan. In addition, a diet restricted to the circadian rhythm induces increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the forebrain region, regulating autophagy and increasing synaptic plasticity, thus enhancing cognitive function. Consequently, circadian rhythm-restricted diets could serve as a promising non-pharmacological treatment for preventing and improving cognitive dysfunction and prolonging lifespan.
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