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Dr Nitin Kapoor and Dr Sanjay Kalra 15 June 2025
A chronotype-adapted diet more effectively enhances weight loss, cardiometabolic health, and gut microbiota in individuals with overweight or obesity compared to a conventional low-calorie diet, according to the findings of the CHRONODIET trial, which were presented at NUTRITION 2025, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition.1,2
This open-label randomized controlled trial, conducted over a period of 4 months, enrolled 140 adults with overweight or obesity and randomized them to either a chronotype-adapted low-calorie diet with meal timing aligned to individual metabolic peaks (based on morning or evening chronotype), or a standardized low-calorie diet plan. Both diets provided the same total daily caloric intake. The self-assessment Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) was used to determine chronotype. The primary outcome measured was change in body weight, while the secondary outcomes included alterations in body composition, biochemical markers, gut microbiota composition, and levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).
Of the 140 participants, 117 (84%) with mean age 49 years completed the study. The participants in both groups lost weight significantly, but evening chronotypes in the intervention group saw greater reduction (-3.7 kg), followed by morning chronotypes (-3.2 kg) and controls (-2.5 kg).
Fat mass percentage showed a significant decline in the intervention group, more so in evening chronotypes (-2.8%) than in morning chronotypes (-1.6%). No significant change was observed in the control group (-0.5%). Total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were reduced in both intervention groups, but only morning chronotypes showed a significant drop in glucose levels (-2.9 mg/dL).
Gut microbiota analysis showed that the intervention group had an increase in SCFA-producing bacteria like Clostridiales vadin BB60 and a decrease in Nitrososphaeraceae, along with greater production of of anti-inflammatory SCFAs such as isobutyric acid (+0.42% vs -0.25%) and 2-methylbutyric acid (+0.43% vs. -0.44%) compared to the control group.
A chronotype-adapted diet therefore appears more effective than a standard low-calorie diet in improving body composition, metabolic health, and gut microbiota in overweight or obese individuals, especially among evening chronotypes “who may face greater challenges with conventional dietary strategies”. According to the authors, this study is the first to evaluate the effectiveness of a chronotype-adapted diet compared to a standard calorie-distributed diet in promoting weight loss and improving cardiometabolic risk factors and gut microbiota. “Given the burden of obesity, a chronotype-adapted diet — aligning meal timing with biological rhythms — could be an innovative approach to weight management,” they wrote. The chronotype should be taken into account when providing dietary counseling to the patient.
References
1. Dinu M, et al. (LB04-03-25) Chronotype-adapted dietary intervention enhances weight loss, metabolic health, and gut microbiota in overweight/obese individuals: The CHRONODIET randomized trial. Available at: https://nutrition2025.eventscribe.net/index.asp?presTarget=3060294. Dated June 1, 2025. Accessed on June 14, 2025.
2. Adapting diet to chronotype boosts weight loss, Gut Health - Medscape - June 04, 2025.
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