Maria Izquierdo Pulido, Directora
Catedràtica de Nutrició i Bromatologia
Departament de Nutrició, Ciències de l’Alimentació i Gastronomia. Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació. Universitat de Barcelona
a/e: maria_izquierdo@ub.edu

María Fernanda Zerón Rugerio, Co-Directora
Professora Lectora
Departament d’Infermeria Fonamental i Clínica. Facultat d’Infermeria.
Universitat de Barcelona
A/E: fernanda.zeron@ub.edu

Trinitat Cambras Riu
Catedràtica De Universitat
Departament de Bioquímica i Fisiologia. Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació. Universitat de Barcelona.
a/e: cambras@ub.edu

Andreu Farran Codina
Professor Agregat
Departament de Nutrició, Ciències de l’Alimentació i Gastronomia. Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació. Universitat de Barcelona
a/e: afarran@ub.edu

Maria Díez Hernández
Investigadora predoctoral
Departament de Nutrició, Ciències de l’Alimentació i Gastronomia. Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació. Universitat de Barcelona
a/e: mariadiezdh@gmail.com

Aradeisy Ibarra Picon
Investigadora predoctoral
Departament de Nutrició, Ciències de l’Alimentació i Gastronomia. Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació. Universitat de Barcelona
a/e: ara.ibarra@ub.edu

Macarena Veloso Pulgar
Investigadora predoctoral
Departament de Nutrició, Ciències de l’Alimentació i Gastronomia. Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació. Universitat de Barcelona
a/e: macarenaveloso87@ub.edu

Actualització de Membres del Grup: abril de 2025

El Grup de Recerca en Nutrició de Precisió i Crononutrició (NuPeC) és un grup amb una sòlida experiència en investigació, transferència i explotació de resultats en els camps de l’alimentació, la nutrició de precisió i la cronobiologia. Com a grup de recerca, el nostre objectitu és dur a terme estudis epidemiològics i d’intervenció en els àmbits de l’alimentació, la cronobiologia, els estils de vida i els comportaments alimentaris, amb la finalitat d’avançar cap a una nutrició de precisió i poder oferir recomanacions nutricionals més acurades per millorar la salut de la població a llarg termini. La nostra estratègia recerca està alineada amb els Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible (ODS) 3 i 5, que fan referència a la salut i benestar, i a la igualtat de gènere.

Como a resultat, en els darrers 10 anys, el grup de recerca NuPeC ha participat com a investigador en projectes finançats per entitats tant públiques com privades. El NuPeC compta amb una àmplia experiència en estudis amb població sana (infants, adolescents i adults), així com amb persones amb patologies com l’obesitat i la diabetis. A més, té una gran expertesa en el desenvolupament i aplicació de diferents metodologies per avaluar els ritmes circadiaris i la seva relació amb la nutrició i la salut. El seu interès final és treballar per integrar dades moleculars, nutricionals, clíniques i d’estil de vida per obtenir recomanacions nutricionals i d’estil de vida personalitzades.

Línia de Recerca: Alimentació i son: Estudis clínics i epidemiològics dirigits a identificar els factors determinants i mecanismes implicats en la relació entre l’alimentació i el son, així com el seu impacte en la salut i el benestar.
Investigador principal: Dra. Maria Izquierdo Pulido
Co-investigador: Dra. María Fernanda Zerón

Línia de Recerca: Estils de vida i comportament alimentari: Estudis epidemiològics i clínics orientats a explorar les relacions entre els diferents components de l’estil de vida (dieta, son, activitat física, exposició a pantalles) i el comportament alimentari, i el seu impacte en la salut i el benestar.
Investigador principal: Dra. Maria Izquierdo Pulido

Línia de Recerca: Crononutrició, ritmes circadiaris i salut: Anàlisi i estudi dels ritmes circadiaris (en activitat motora, temperatura, ingesta energètica, glucèmia i altres paràmetres) i el seu impacte en la salut i el benestar.
Investigador principal: Dra. Trinitat Cambras Nogués
Co-investigador: Dra. Maria Fernanda Zerón Rugerio

Línia de Recerca: Desenvolupament de noves eines i metodologies: Creació de qüestionaris validats i nous marcadors cronobiològics per investigar les relacions potencials entre les variables estudiades (son, dieta, comportaments alimentaris) i la salut.
Investigador principal:  Dra. Maria Izquierdo Pulido
Co-investigador: Dra. Maria Fernanda Zerón Rugerio

Línia de Recerca: Desenvolupament i validació d’eines per a l’avaluació nutricional: qüestionaris de dieta, bases de dades de composició dels aliments i programes informàtics d’anàlisi nutricional.
Investigador principal:  Dr. Andreu Farran Codina

Línia de Recerca: Activitat fisica i  nutrició i el seu impacte sobre la composició corporal.
Investigador principal:  Dr. Andreu Farran Codin

Zerón-Rugerio MF, Santamaría-Orleans A, Izquierdo-Pulido M.
Late bedtime combined with more screen time before bed increases the risk of obesity and lowers diet quality in Spanish children.
Appetite. 2024 May 1;196:107293.
doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107293.
PMID: 38447642.

Zerón-Rugerio MF, Hernáez Á, Cambras T, Izquierdo-Pulido M.
Emotional eating and cognitive restraint mediate the association between sleep quality and BMI in young adults.
Appetite. 2022 Mar 1;170:105899.
doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105899.
PMID: 34968561.

Abstract: This cross-sectional study was designed to investigate whether diet quality and eating behaviors could mediate the association between sleep quality and body mass index (BMI) in young adults. For all participants (n = 925; aged 21.4 ± 2.5 years; 77.8% women) we evaluated: BMI, sleep quality, diet quality, and eating behavior dimensions (emotional eating, cognitive restraint, and uncontrolled eating). Linear regression models were used to test associations between exposure and outcome variables. Path analysis was conducted with all potential mediators and covariates entered at the same time. Results showed that emotional eating (β = 0.04 [95% CI: 0.03; 0.06]), cognitive restraint (β = 0.03 [95% CI: 0.01; 0.04]), uncontrolled eating (β = 0.02 [95% CI: 0.01; 0.04]) and diet quality (β = -0.14 [95% CI: 0.19;-0.08]) were significantly associated with sleep quality. Additionally, BMI was significantly associated with PSQI score (β = 0.09 [95% CI: 0.01; 0.17]), emotional eating (β = 0.89 [95% CI: 0.60; 1.18]), and cognitive restraint (β = 1.37 [95% CI: 1.02; 1.71]). After testing for mediation, results revealed that emotional eating and cognitive restraint evidenced a significant mediating effect on the association between sleep quality and BMI. Additionally, diet quality was significantly associated with emotional eating (β = -0.35 [95% CI: 0.56;-0.13]), cognitive restraint (β = 0.53 [95% CI: 0.27; 0.79]), and uncontrolled eating (β = -0.49 [95% CI: 0.74;-0.25]). In conclusion, young adults with poor sleep quality are more likely to deal with negative emotions with food, which, in turn, could be associated with higher cognitive restraint, becoming a vicious cycle that has a negative impact on body weight. Our results also emphasize the role of eating behaviors as determinants of diet quality, highlighting the importance of considering sleep quality and eating behaviors when designing obesity prevention strategies in this population. Keywords: Body mass index; Cognitive restraint; Diet quality; Eating behavior; Emotional eating; Sleep quality.

Barnadas-Solé C, Zerón-Rugerio MF, Hernáez Á, Foncillas-Corvinos J, Cambras T, Izquierdo-Pulido M.
Late bedtime is associated with lower weight loss in patients with severe obesity after sleeve gastrectomy.
Int J Obes (Lond). 2021 Sep;45(9):1967-1975.
doi: 10.1038/s41366-021-00859-6.
PMID: 34017047.

Background: Previous research has shown that sleep can play a role in obesity and weight loss. However, the association of sleep with weight loss in patients with severe obesity after bariatric surgery remains unexplored. We aimed to evaluate the role of sleep in weight loss evolution in a cohort of patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy. Methods: A cohort of 252 patients with severe obesity (75.7% women; age [mean ± SD] 47.7 ± 10.8 years; BMI 44.2 ± 5.9 kg/m²) was followed for 1 year after surgery. Anthropometric, biochemical, physical activity, sleep (bedtime, wakeup time, and sleep duration) and dietary intake variables were collected pre- and post-surgery (1 year). Linear and non-linear regression models were used to examine the associations between sleep variables and weight loss. Participants were grouped into ‘early’ and ‘late’ sleepers according to a bedtime threshold (before or after 24:00 h), and the differences in weight loss, physical activity, meal timing, and dietary intake between groups were studied. Results: 1-h increments in bedtime were linearly associated with less excess weight loss (EWL) [-2.23%; 95%CI: -3.37; -0.70; p = 0.005] 1 year after the sleeve gastrectomy. Late sleepers lost less weight (-5.64% of EWL [95%CI: -10.11; -1.17]; p = 0.014) when compared to early sleepers and showed a higher energy intake after 21:00 h (8.66% of total energy intake [95% CI: 4.87; 12.46]; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Late bedtime is associated with less success of weight loss 1 year after the sleeve gastrectomy. Late sleepers consumed more of their calories closer to bedtime. Our results highlight the relevance of considering recommendations on bedtime and meal timing for patients after bariatric surgery.

Zerón-Rugerio MF, Díez-Noguera A, Izquierdo-Pulido M, Cambras T.
Higher eating frequency is associated with lower adiposity and robust circadian rhythms: a cross-sectional study.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2021 Jan 4;113(1):17-27.
doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqaa282.
PMID: 33094802.

Background: Although overweight and obesity are assumed to arise from an energy imbalance, evidence has shown that the frequency and timing of meals are also potential risk factors for obesity. However, the lack of a consistent approach to define eating patterns relative to internal circadian rhythms limits the extent of these findings. Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the association of the circadian pattern of energy intake with adiposity and with internal circadian rhythms. Methods: A total of 260 Spanish adults (aged 20-30 y; 78.1% women) were included in a 6-d cross-sectional study. Participants documented sleep and dietary intake within the study period. From these data, we evaluated the chronotype, eating patterns (meal timing, eating duration, and eating frequency), and we obtained the daily profile of energy intake. In addition, we evaluated the circadian pattern of wrist temperature (internal circadian rhythm marker). Circadian patterns of energy intake and wrist temperature were analyzed, and their association among them and with anthropometric variables and diet quality was studied. Results: The greater fragmentation of the circadian pattern of energy intake was associated with lower BMI (in kg/m2; -10.55; 95% CI: -16.96, -4.13; P = 0.001). In addition, a greater eating frequency (≥5 eating occasions/d) was significantly associated with lower BMI (-1.88; 95% CI: -3.27, -0.48) and higher energy intake after 20:00 (4.14% of kcal; 95% CI: 1.67, 7.16). Furthermore, a greater eating frequency was associated with lower fragmentation (P = 0.042) and greater stability of the circadian pattern of wrist temperature (P = 0.016). Conclusions: The daily pattern of energy intake is associated with adiposity and robust circadian rhythms. Our results shed light on the relevance of eating frequency as a potential zeitgeber for the circadian system. Although more evidence is needed, eating frequency could be considered for future chrono-nutritional recommendations for the prevention of circadian misalignment and obesity. Keywords: adiposity; chrono-nutrition; circadian rhythms; eating frequency; energy intake; wrist temperature.

Zerón-Rugerio MF, Hernáez Á, Porras-Loaiza AP, Cambras T, Izquierdo-Pulido M.
Eating Jet Lag: A Marker of the Variability in Meal Timing and Its Association with Body Mass Index.
Nutrients. 2019 Dec 6;11(12):2980.
doi: 10.3390/nu11122980.
Erratum in: Nutrients. 2020 Mar 19;12(3):E816.
doi: 10.3390/nu12030816.
PMID: 31817568

Abstract: The timing of food intake has been associated with obesity and adverse metabolic outcomes, independently of the amount or content of food intake and activity level. However, the impact of the variability in the timing of food intake between weekends and weekdays on BMI (body mass index) remains unexplored. To address that, we propose to study a marker of the variability of meal timing on weekends versus weekdays (denominated as ‘eating jet lag’) that could be associated with increments in BMI. This cross-sectional study included 1106 subjects (aged 18-25 years). Linear regression models were used to examine the associations of eating jet lag with BMI and circadian related variables (including chronotype, eating duration, sleep duration, and social jet lag). Subsequently, a hierarchical multivariate regression analysis was conducted to determine whether the association of eating jet lag with BMI was independent of potentially confounding variables (e.g., chronotype and social jet lag). Moreover, restricted cubic splines were calculated to study the shape of the association between eating jet lag and BMI. Our results revealed a positive association between eating jet lag and BMI (p = 0.008), which was independent of the chronotype and social jet lag. Further analysis revealed the threshold of eating jet lag was of 3.5 h or more, from which the BMI could significantly increase. These results provided evidence of the suitability of the eating jet lag, as a marker of the variability in meal timing between weekends and weekdays, for the study of the influence of meal timing on obesity. In a long run, the reduction of the variability between meal timing on weekends versus weekdays could be included as part of food timing guidelines for the prevention of obesity among general population. Keywords: body mass index; eating jet lag; meal timing; obesity; young adults.

Zerón-Rugerio MF; Cambras T; Izquierdo-Pulido M.
Sleep restriction and circadian misalignment: their implications in obesity
Ronald Ross Watson and Victor R. Preedy
Neurological Modulation of Sleep: mechanisms and function in sleep health.
Academic Press (Elsevier) 2020
ISBN: 9780128166581
https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780128166581/neurological-modulation-of-sleep

Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Rerceca (SGR: 2021SGR01190)
Institut de Recerca en Nutrició i Seguretat Alimentària (Unitat d’Excel·lencia Maria de Maeztu)
Campus de l’Alimentació de Torribera. Universitat de Barcelona