Links between the circadian rhythm, obesity and the microbiome.

摘要

Obesity is linked to a wide range of serious illnesses. In additionto the important impact on the health of the individual, obesityalso has a substantial impact on the economy. Disruption ofphysiological day-night cycles could contribute to the increasedincidence of obesity. According to the American National SleepFederation, the percentage of the people who reported a sleepduration of six hours or less increased from 12 to 37 % over tenyears. Insufficient sleep leads not only to an increase of the totalcalorie intake but changes the meal preference in favor ofpalatable foods and meals with high carbohydrate content.A decrease of leptin and increase of ghrelin levels caused bysleep deficiency can also play a role. In addition to the highercaloric intake, the timing of food consumption should be takeninto account. The same meal eaten during the night versus theday is associated with increased postprandial glucose andtriglyceride levels. The gut microbiome has also been recentlyunderstood as an endocrine system, with links between the gutmicrobiome and circadian rhythm changes possibly influencingincreased obesity.