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A recent study by the French research institute INRAE – National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment has underscored a crucial link between meal timings and the risk of cardiovascular diseases, cautioning individuals who tend to skip breakfast or have late dinners about potential heart health risks.
The research, published in Nature Communications, delved into the eating patterns of 103,389 participants to investigate the correlations between meal timings and cardiovascular disease development.
Cardiovascular diseases stand as the foremost cause of global mortality, accounting for 18.6 million annual deaths in 2019, with a significant portion, approximately 7.9 million, attributed to diet-related factors, as per the Global Burden of Disease study.
The study findings unveiled compelling connections between meal schedules and heart health risks. Delaying the first meal of the day was associated with a 6% escalation in the risk of cardiovascular disease per hour of delay. For instance, individuals consuming their initial meal at 9 a.m. faced a 6% higher likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease compared to those who ate at 8 a.m.
Moreover, the research underscored the impact of late-night eating, indicating a notable 28% surge in the risk of cerebrovascular disease, such as stroke, among individuals consuming dinner after 9 p.m., particularly in women. Conversely, a prolonged duration of night-time fasting, emphasizing the gap between the last meal of the day and the first meal of the following day, exhibited a decreased risk of cerebrovascular disease.
These findings suggest potential strategies for mitigating cardiovascular risks, advocating for an earlier intake of the first and last meals with an extended period of night-time fasting.
While this study provides critical insights, the researchers emphasize the need for replication across diverse cohorts and further scientific investigations with varied designs to validate the findings. Nonetheless, this research highlights the plausible role of meal timings in averting the onset of cardiovascular diseases and proposes the adoption of earlier meal routines as a potential preventive measure.
