It is stated in ScienceDaily, Dec 31 2008 issue, it is stated: ‘Indulgence in a high-fat diet can not only lead to overweight because of excessive calorie intake, but also can affect the balance of circadian rhythms – everyone’s 24-hour biological clock, Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers have shown’.

At Hebrew University’s Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment in Rehovot, Dr. Oren Froy and his colleagues of the Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition have done research work using  lab mice to establish the effects of diet on circadian. Circadian- every one’s biological clock is responsible to control body metabolism and functions of enzymes and hormones.

Hormones disorder can lead to serious problems such as sleep disorders, psychological disorders, cancer and obesity. They wanted to know whether high fat diet only leads to obesity or it disrupts the body clock’s routine.

In this study they aimed to find out whether the disturbance in the clock also affects adiponectin-a secretion from fat tissues which plays a major part in glucose and lipid metabolism. Meaning thereby, it controls the metabolic functions of liver and kidneys. It was also to be checked whether fasting and fatty diets have any effect on the functions of adiponectin or not. Adiponectin also increases insulin sensitivity and increases oxidation of fatty acid.

The researchers experimented by giving the mice high fat diet, low fat diet and then fasting. The results were clearly showing that high fat diet caused delay in phase. The high fat diet reduced AMPK’s levels. AMPK is Adenosine Monophosphate-Activated Protein Kinase, which is responsible to carry out fatty acid metabolism. Fasting raised these levels. Whereas, in low fat diet normal results showed.

In the journal Endocrinology, an article will soon be published in which the researchers will be advocating the point that high-fat diet disrupts the body clock which invites obesity.