It is always exciting to read about research which investigates the natural side of food and how it is intricately linked with how our body functions. Most food-related headlines are about selling a concept that a certain food will help prevent a disease.
Dr Deanna Minich presents some interesting research about how foods relate to our circadian rhythm. Historically humankind (and other animals) have lived with the seasons – consuming foods only when these are available. Fast forward to the 20th Century and international transport has made seasonal foods available all year round enabling us to eat summer foods in winter. Not only are we breaching natures rhythms, but we are also consuming foods not grown in our environment.
Eating fresh, whole, locally grown organic produce remains the catch-cry to good nutrition. Supporting our local growers and sourcing foods through farmers’ markets and farm-direct outlets provides us with the fresh wholesome goodness that nurtures our genes.
Most people think about nutrition in terms of nutrients: protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.
But an emerging area of science is asking a different question: What if food is also a timing signal?
Chronobiology, the study of biological rhythms, is revealing that metabolism is deeply connected to light-dark cycles, sleep-wake rhythms, hormone timing, and even seasonal changes in the environment. We are not biologically static organisms. We are not biologically static organisms, we are rhythmic and dynamic. And increasingly, research suggests that food may help regulate those rhythms.
Food as a Circadian Signal
Light remains the primary regulator of our internal clocks. Yet it isn’t the only cue our bodies receive. The timing of meals, patterns of eating and fasting, and certain naturally occurring compounds in foods may all interact with circadian pathways that influence metabolism, energy production, and sleep.
Some scientists now refer to certain plant compounds as “chronobiotics”, natural substances that influence circadian biology and internal timing systems. One example is tart cherries, which naturally contain polyphenols that may support sleep-wake rhythms and circadian signaling.
Another fascinating example is grapefruit, particularly its flavonoid nobiletin. Check my Instagram page for a reel I did last week on the power of grapefruit. The most exciting research suggests that nobiletin may interact with circadian clock genes involved in metabolism and energy regulation. In experimental studies, nobiletin has been associated with improvements in metabolic resilience, mitochondrial function, and circadian rhythm signaling, making it one of the more intriguing “food-as-timing” compounds currently being studied.
The Seasonality of Plants
The story extends beyond individual foods. Plants themselves are dynamic organisms that respond continuously according to season, light exposure, temperature, soil conditions, and environmental stress. Their chemistry shifts dynamically throughout the year. This means the same fruit or vegetable may carry a different biochemical signature depending on when it is grown and consumed.
One study found that fall-harvested broccoli contained nearly double the vitamin C of spring broccoli. Other research showed that seasonal cherry consumption influenced fat metabolism differently depending on the photoperiod, or hours of light exposure. In other words, the interaction between food and metabolism appeared connected to circadian timing.
Ancient Wisdom, Emerging Science
We often think of circadian rhythms as something controlled only by light. But food is also a powerful environmental signal. Timing, seasonality, and plant chemistry may all influence how our biology interprets the world around us.
Traditional systems like Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine understood this intuitively. They aligned foods with season, climate, energy, digestion, and environmental conditions long before modern science had the language of circadian biology.
Now we are beginning to see possible mechanisms behind that wisdom.
A New Dimension of Nutrition
Nutrition science has traditionally focused on a fundamental question:
What should we eat?
Today, additional questions are beginning to emerge:
- When do we eat?
- How does food communicate with our biological clocks?
- What foods are naturally available during a particular season?
- How might environmental conditions influence both plants and people?
The answers are still unfolding. Yet the research points toward a broader view of nourishment—one that recognizes food not only as a source of nutrients, but also as part of a larger conversation between our biology and the natural world.
Food may be more than nourishment. Perhaps it also carries subtle cues that help us stay connected to the rhythms of life itself.
Source: Dr Deanna Minich
References:
Neba Ambe GNN, Breda C, Bhambra AS, Arroo RRJ. Effect of the Citrus Flavone Nobiletin on Circadian Rhythms and Metabolic Syndrome. Molecules. 2022 Nov 10;27(22):7727. doi: 10.3390/molecules27227727. PMID: 36431828; PMCID: PMC9695244.
Ruiz de Azua MJ, Cruz-Carrión Á, Muguerza B, Arola-Arnal A, Suarez M. Seasonal Consumption of Cherries from Different Origins Affects Metabolic Markers and Gene Expression of Lipogenic Enzymes in Rat Liver: A Preliminary Study. Nutrients. 2021 Oct 18;13(10):3643. doi: 10.3390/nu13103643. PMID: 34684644; PMCID: PMC8537345.
Wunderlich SM, Feldman C, Kane S, Hazhin T. Nutritional quality of organic, conventional, and seasonally grown broccoli using vitamin C as a marker. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2008 Feb;59(1):34-45. doi: 10.1080/09637480701453637. PMID: 17852499.