The time at which we eat has a direct influence on the health of our heart, according to a recent study. Discover the schedules to preserve your cardiovascular health.
You value what you eat, but do you also care about the timing of your meals? Eating late for the first or last time of the day would be associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
Cardiovascular diseases: 20 million deaths per year
A true public health scourge, cardiovascular diseases are responsible for nearly 20 million deaths each year worldwide. They remain the leading cause of mortality. At the origin of these pathologies, diet and lifestyle have a dominant role. A balanced, varied diet with a minimum of processed foods constitutes a prevention factor, as does regular physical activity.
To explore a lesser-known link between diet and cardiovascular health, scientists studied the health data of 103,389 participants, including 79% of women with an average age of 42. They aimed to analyze the links between food intake rate and cardiovascular diseases.
Eating early could reduce cardiovascular risk
The results show that the time of the first food intake of the day matters. The later it is, for example, linked to skipping breakfast, the more it is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, with an increase of 6% in risk per hour.
“For example, a person who has the habit of eating for the first time at 9 a.m. would have a 6% greater risk of having cardiovascular disease than a person who is used to eating at 8:00 a.m.” explain the experts. Conversely, “the last food intake of the day, when it is late, after 9:00 p.m., is associated with a 28% increase in the risk of cerebrovascular diseases, such as stroke (stroke), compared to a last food intake before 8:00 p.m., particularly in women”.
Increase the duration of nighttime fasting to reduce cardiovascular risks
Eating earlier in the evening, therefore, increases the duration of nighttime fasting, which is associated with a “reduction in the risk of cerebrovascular disease< a i=2>” add the scientists, who point to Chrono nutrition “as a new area of importance for understanding the relationship between the timing of food intake, circadian rhythms, and health.”
They believe that further studies are necessary to confirm these initial results but invite the general public to adopt the habit of “eating their first and last meal more early,” which allows for a “longer period of nighttime fasting” and “helps prevent the risks of cardiovascular disease.”
