Longer overnight fasts, Early Breakfasts

A September 2024 study by Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) said,

• "Our results, in line with other recent studies, suggest that extending the overnight fast could help maintain a healthy weight if accompanied by an early dinner and an early breakfast. We think this may be because eating earlier in the day is more in line with circadian rhythms and allows for better calorie burning and appetite regulation, which can help maintain a healthy weight. However, it is too soon to draw definitive conclusions, so recommendations will have to wait for more robust evidence",

• "There are different ways of practising what is known as 'intermittent fasting' and our study relates to one of them, which is overnight fasting. What we observed in a subgroup of men who do intermittent fasting by skipping breakfast is that this practice has no effect on body weight. Other intervention studies in participants with obesity have shown that this tactic is no more effective than reducing calorie intake in reducing body weight in the long term,"

• "Our research is part of an emerging field of research known as 'chrononutrition', which focuses not only on analysing what we eat, but also the times of day and the number of times we eat"

Body clock, depression and wellbeing

A June 2021 study led by the University of Exeter said, 

• "We found that people who were misaligned from their natural body clock were more likely to report depression, anxiety and have lower wellbeing. We also found the most robust evidence yet that being a morning person is protective of depression and improves wellbeing.”

• “We think this could be explained by the fact that the demands of society mean night owls are more likely to defy their natural body clocks, by having to wake up early for work."

• "The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a new flexibility in working patterns for many people. Our research indicates that aligning working schedules to an individual's natural body clock may improve mental health and wellbeing in night owls."

Men, Women, the Impact of Shiftwork

An April 2021 report by the University of Waterloo said, 

"Because our immune system is affected by the circadian clock, our ability to mount an immune response changes during the day," 

"How likely are you to fight off an infection that occurs in the morning than midday? The answer depends on whether you are a man or a woman, and whether you are among quarter of the modern-day labour force that has an irregular work schedule."

"Shift work likely affects men and women differently," 

"Compared to females, the immune system in males is more prone to over-activation, which can increase their chances of sepsis following an ill-timed infection."