Dietary Intake Timing (Chrono-nutrition)

The 2021 study investigates the relationship between time-restricted feeding and mental health outcomes in southern Italian adults. Since the growing mental health problems seem to be influenced by modern society, unhealthy lifestyle, and harmful dietary habits, some people have suggested dietary strategies such as feeding regulation and fasting to prevent and treat mental health diseases. In this present study, food frequency questionnaires were used to calculate the dietary consumption of 1572 adults. The participants were asked what time, on average, they consumed their meals. The researchers wanted to find out who was eating within 8 hours or less of their previous meal. These dietary characteristics were then analyzed on their correlations with depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and sleep quality. Time-restricted feeding was not related to mental health outcomes after adjusting the analysis model for potential confounding factors. However, there were notable results when performing the analyses by age groups. Individuals over 70 years old with feeding time windows of 8 hours were less likely to exhibit signs of mental health issues than those with no feeding time restrictions, regardless of the quality of their diets. This relationship was maintained after adjusting for having dinner but disappeared after adjusting for having breakfast. In conclusion, restricting the daily feeding window of time is linked with fewer symptoms of mental health distress in adults older than 70 years.