Nutrients and Circadian Rhythms in Mammals.

The circadian rhythm is generally existed in mammalian behavior and metabolic processes, which results from the self-sustained circadian clocks. The mammalian circadian clocks are composed of a master clock located in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), and of many peripheral clocks in tissues and extra-SCN brain regions. It is indicated that feeding could take over part of the SCN signaling, and affect internal synchrony between the master clock and the peripheral clocks. Thus, recent studies focus more on the relationship between the nutrients and circadian rhythms. Various nutrient components (glucose, amino acid, alcohol) are found to be able to directly affect the circadian rhythm of clock genes. Moreover, the feeding schedule of nutrients is as important as the nutrient components in maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm. Therefore, the circadian homeostasis needs not only balanced nutrient components but also regular timed nutrients.