Circadian rhythms and appetite

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The control of food intake is a flexible system whereby internal and external environmental cues can alter the timing of feeding and appetite. The suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus is the vital coordinator of these stimuli that ultimately generates known as circadian rhythms.

Circadian rhythms are driven by the light and dark cycles of the earth which through alteration of gene expression elicit a host of physiological responses including fluctuations in the hormones involved in appetite and food intake.

It has been well documented that food intake itself can regulate these rhythms and yet the neural mechanisms by which this occurs remains elusive. It has recently been proposed that there exists a ‘food entrainable oscillator’ that exists independently from the SCN which controls food anticipation activity.

Various factors such as have been known to influence circadian rhythms indeed our modern day lifestyle has highlighted new factors that influence these delicate balances including jet-lag and shift work.

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