Early breakfast is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases 0 5

What do you know about chrononutrition? In this developing field, scientists have found that health depends not only on the quality of food but also on the timing of its consumption. Meal timing, along with light exposure, can influence our circadian rhythms and, consequently, our overall health.

Time and Nutrition

A study conducted last year showed that people who ate later in the day generally burned calories more slowly and had genetic changes that promoted the accumulation of more lipids, leading to an increase in fat mass.

Another study conducted just a few months ago demonstrated that diabetics who ate only between noon and 8 PM lost more weight compared to those who followed a regular calorie-restricted diet. Additionally, a 2022 study on mice showed that forcing rodents to eat only during their active periods increased their lifespan by 35%.

The new work by European scientists was based on data from the NutriNet-Santé study, a project launched in 2009 to investigate the relationship between nutrition and health among more than 175,000 participants in France. After analyzing the data and adjusting for factors such as age and lifestyle, researchers selected 103,389 individuals for their analysis.

The results showed that each hour that breakfast was delayed increased the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 6%. Thus, if one person started breakfast at 7:00 AM and another at 10:00 AM, the second person's risk of cardiovascular diseases over their lifetime would be 18% higher.

Moreover, the study found that individuals who ate after 9 PM had a 28% higher risk of cerebrovascular diseases, such as stroke and aneurysm, compared to those who finished eating before 8 PM.

It was also established that a longer fasting period between dinner and breakfast the next day is associated with a lower risk of cerebrovascular diseases.

“These results suggest that, in addition to the nutritional value of the diet itself, meal timing recommendations may contribute to improved cardiometabolic health,” the researchers noted.