Most healthy eating advice focuses on what people eat, but new research suggests that when people eat may also be associated with long-term health outcomes.
A study involving more than 31,000 U.S. adults found that the timing of the first and last meals of the day was associated with differences in mortality risk, cardiovascular disease and life expectancy.
The research, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, adds to growing scientific interest in meal timing, eating patterns, circadian rhythms and healthy aging.
Late First Meals Linked to Higher Mortality Risk
Researchers found that the timing of the first meal appeared to have a particularly strong association with health outcomes.
Compared with people who ate their first meal between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., mortality risk increased as the first meal was delayed.
Participants who did not eat until after noon had a 29 percent higher risk of death from any cause and a 43 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease-related death compared with those who ate earlier.
The findings were not limited to people who completely skipped breakfast. Those whose first meal occurred between 10 a.m. and noon also recorded higher risks, including a 19 percent increase in all-cause mortality and a 59 percent increase in stroke-related deaths compared with people who ate between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.
Best Time for the Last Meal
The study also examined the timing of the final meal of the day and found that eating earlier was not necessarily associated with the lowest mortality risk.
Researchers identified 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. as the meal window associated with the lowest mortality risk in the study.
Meanwhile, adults who finished eating before 7 p.m. had a 13 percent higher risk of death from any cause.
The highest risks were observed among people whose final meal was eaten after midnight. This group had a 27 percent higher risk of death from any cause and a 51 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease-related death compared with those who ate their final meal between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Meal Timing and Life Expectancy
The researchers also found associations between meal timing and estimated life expectancy among adults aged 50 and older.
Eating the first meal between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. was associated with approximately 0.9 fewer years of life expectancy, while delaying the first meal until after noon was associated with a reduction of about 2.5 years.
At the end of the day, eating the final meal before 7 p.m. was associated with approximately 1.2 fewer years of life expectancy, while eating after midnight was associated with about 2.4 fewer years.
How the Study Was Conducted
The research analysed data from 31,044 adults aged 40 and above who participated in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2018.
Participants provided 24-hour dietary information detailing when they consumed their meals. Researchers subsequently linked the data with the National Death Index to examine mortality outcomes through December 31, 2019.
Participants were followed for an average of 8.6 years.
Researchers Warn Findings Do Not Prove Cause and Effect
Despite the associations identified in the study, researchers cautioned that the findings do not prove that meal timing directly causes changes in lifespan or cardiovascular health.
Because the study was observational, it can identify relationships between eating patterns and health outcomes but cannot establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship.
Nevertheless, the findings add to growing research suggesting that meal timing may be an important consideration alongside diet quality, physical activity and other healthy lifestyle habits when discussing healthy aging and long-term disease prevention.
Source: newsthemegh.com