Will Delaying Breakfast Mitigate the Metabolic Health Benefits of Time-Restricted Eating?

Abstract

Eating out of phase with the biological clock induces circadian misalignment in peripheral organs and impairs glucose tolerance in preclinical models. Time-restricted eating (TRE) is a dietary approach that consolidates energy intake to 6 to 10 hours during the biologically active phase of the day, without necessarily altering diet quality and quantity. TRE induces pleiotropic metabolic benefits in mice, flies, and humans. Most studies have initiated TRE early in the biological morning. This perspective discusses the potential challenges in translating early TRE to the community and considers the potential metabolic consequences of delaying TRE.