Counting calories? You may want to watch the clock too

Chrono-nutrition advises aligning meal times with the body's circadian rhythm for better weight management

- Tanisha Saxena

For much of modern history, nutrition science has focused on the what of eating—calories, macronutrients, fiber, fat. In the process, it largely ignored a more fundamental truth: our bodies run on time. Not metaphorically, but biologically. The burgeoning field of 'chrononutrition' is now reframing the conversation by asking a quietly radical question: what if timing is the missing ingredient in how we nourish ourselves?

Emerging research suggests that erratic eating patterns—late-night dinners, skipped breakfasts, grazing throughout the day—can disrupt the body's internal clocks with sweeping effects on blood sugar regulation, hormonal balance, and even immune function. Our organs, it turns out, are creatures of habit. The liver doesn't merely process nutrients; it anticipates them—on schedule. So does the pancreas, the gut, and even fat cells. Eating out of sync with these circadian rhythms can trigger deeply physiological consequences. "Chrononutrition doesn't replace the importance of food quality or quantity—it expands on it," says Poonam Duneja, clinical dietitian at PSRI Hospital in New Delhi. "Our metabolism isn't constant across the day. For instance, insulin sensitivity peaks in the morning and wanes as the day progresses. Eating more calories earlier may improve blood sugar control and lipid profiles."