Passing up breakfast may exacerbate the progression of heart disease by influencing how the small intestine processes fats, suggests a recent Chinese study.
This discovery might indicate that the traditional Buddhist practice of skipping dinner and abstaining from food from dawn till dusk is more effective than contemporary diets that limit consumption to midday.
" Intermittent fasting regimens "Time-restricted eating (TRE) has become popular in recent years because of its positive effects on metabolism," according to a study conducted by researchers from Zhejiang University and published in the peer-reviewed journal Cell on October 19th.
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The study revealed that although cutting down the period during which one eats can offer metabolic advantages, the timing of these meals throughout the day is crucial.
"Skipping meals akin to missing breakfast can lead to intestinal epithelial cells enhancing their production of crucial proteins involved in fat absorption. This heightened capacity may result in an over-absorption of fats, thereby intensifying the progression of heart conditions," explained study co-author Zhang Jian in a WeChat posting by the university.
The primary site for absorbing nutrients from both food and the microbiome into the bloodstream is the small intestine. Additionally, this is where the body obtains essential systemic nutrients supplied by metabolic organs such as the liver — which serves as the principal provider of energy during fasting periods.
According to the study, the research group aimed to determine how this "dual-source nutrient provision scenario" is influenced by the method and scheduling of nutrient consumption.
In their research, the mice were provided with food, subjected to starvation, or received nourishment through an intravenous route, thus avoiding the digestive system altogether. This method of intravenous nutrition serves as a crucial medical intervention for individuals experiencing intestinal issues; however, it has also been associated with potential drawbacks such as weakening of the immune response and diminished gut functionality.
"The differences in total nutrient availability across the three feeding models enabled us to identify the specific impacts of each nutritional input," the team explained.
The nutrition provided in the small intestine via food intake has been shown to effectively preserve the integrity of the intestinal barrier and stimulate satiety hormones throughout the system.
Zhang mentioned that goblet cells, responsible for absorbing the crucial amino acid glutamine and contributing to the formation of the intestinal mucosal barrier against microorganisms, selectively take up orally consumed glutamine in the small intestine.
When nutrients were delivered solely via intravenous means, there was a rise in intestinal fungi, potentially causing cellular harm, as stated by Zhang.
The administration of antifungal medications was observed to improve these conditions in mice, suggesting they might serve as a viable therapeutic choice for individuals needing intravenous feeding who experience related problems.
The study noted various regulatory impacts of different nutrient supply methods on the multiple roles performed by intestinal epithelial cells, such as mucus secretion, maintenance of barrier strength, and fat absorption.
These discoveries might help us better comprehend how interruptions in nutrient delivery methods can result in obesity and illness.
They similarly uphold an old Buddhist practice of fasting, which dates back to 5th-century India, wherein monks would not eat from midday until sunrise the following day.
Currently, numerous forms of intermittent fasting exist, such as limiting consumption to a set number of hours daily or abstaining from food entirely one whole day per week.
A widely adopted approach is known as the 16/8 method, where an individual refrains from food for 16 hours and consumes all meals during a specified eight-hour period — often beginning with lunchtime.
Missing out on breakfast has been linked to a higher chance of developing heart-related issues. previous studies Achieved in both the United States and Japan; nonetheless, the underlying reasons for this occurrence have stayed obscure, as noted by the team.
In their research, mice deprived of food in the morning exhibited excessive absorption of lipids and glutamine, though glucose uptake remained unaffected.
The researchers noted that this phenomenon of omitting breakfast seemed to have a greater impact compared to missing lunch or dinner, indicating that eating after a phase of inactive rest during the sleep-wake cycle might play a distinct role in maintaining metabolic balance within the small intestine and overall bodily functions.
The researchers suggest that the negative impact of omitting breakfast on metabolism might have counteracted the beneficial effects of intermittent fasting schedules that limit eating to later hours during the day, compared to allowing consumption up until 3 pm.
They observed that additional research would be necessary to determine whether other nutrients, like other vital amino acids, exhibit similar trends to those seen with glutamine and lipids.
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The article initially appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), which serves as the premier source for news coverage of China and Asia.
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