Researchers say clock genes good markers for disease risk, diet-based interventions
New research from the Guelph Family Health Study (GFHS) has found circadian rhythm-related genes could influence the risk of obesity in children, showing an important connection between sleep and eating behaviour.
Prior research has explored these associations, but University of Guelph researchers are the first to study this in a paediatric cohort. No studies have been conducted in children younger than six years old.
“Our findings contribute to a growing body of evidence linking circadian genetics to dietary behaviour,” says Dr. David Ma, professor in the Department of Human Health Sciences.
Natural human rhythm impacts all parts of health early in life
While humans all have the same genes, each person has variations of the same genes that explain characteristics such as hair and eye color. In this new study published in the journal Nutrients, researchers examined variations of genes associated with sleep and found that certain gene variations may increase caloric intake, or from specific macronutrients.
“Clock genes have garnered substantial interest as modulators of disease risk,” Ma says. “These findings show that listening to the natural rhythms of our bodies is important, which can influence eating behaviour and chronic disease risk later in life. This matters because healthy behaviours such as sleep, physical activity and eating behaviours are learned early in life.”
Clock genes, a subset of circadian rhythm-related genes, work together inside a cell to control what is happening. They operate on a 24-hour schedule, like the circadian rhythm in humans that informs when they sleep, eat or have the highest energy levels.
Researchers say clock genes are emerging as potential candidates for markers of early disease risk and could therefore inform personalized diet-based interventions.
“This research is in its infancy,” says Zach Ribau, a GFHS bioinformatician and graduate of the Master of Bioinformatics program. “It is a complex picture. In no way would this be the only thing to consider, but it is a factor for obesity in children.”
New research leads to new questions about biology
Examining this makes researchers question what is known about biology and makes the circadian rhythm an exciting new concept to study, Ribau adds.
Researchers used data from the dietary records of 168 children between the ages of two and six years, and eight clock genes linked to obesity, diabetes and dietary behaviours.
These early stages of development are when early dietary habits can contribute to later disease risk, Ribau says.
“In this paper, we looked at just one point in time,” says Ribau, but further observational studies are in development, where the possibility of more granular hypotheses could reveal more. “As the children and parents grow older, do the associations here hold up?”
This kind of translational research, converting scientific discoveries into practical interventions, is the foundation of what the Guelph Family Health Study aims to do.
The multi-disciplinary, long-term research initiative investigates family behaviours, nutrition, sleep and stress, among other things. It looks at how these affect the long-term health of young children while proactively offering home-based strategies for healthy habits.
“There is so much we can do,” Ribau says. “Not just in terms of circadian genes, but many other interesting hypotheses to test and answers to find at GFHS.”
This project was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and builds on data generated with support from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.