Time-restricted feeding attenuates age-related cardiac decline in Drosophila

Abstract

Midnight snacks are bad for the heart Circadian clocks help animals coordinate their active and rest periods with the daily cycles of light and darkness. As anyone who has suffered jet lag or worked night shifts knows, losing this coordination can have deleterious effects. Gill et al. compared fruit flies that were allowed to eat at any time with flies that were only allowed to eat during the day (when they are active). The flies with restricted feeding times slept better and had a slower decline in heart function as they aged. They also showed less weight gain, even though both groups of flies consumed about the same amount. Science , this issue p. 1265