WAITING too long to have your breakfast or dinner could increase your risk of killer heart disease, a new study suggests.
Research, which analysed the health and diets of 100,000 people, found every hour counts when it comes to mealtimes.
When you eat can impact your circadian rhythm
Eating breakfast and dinner earlier is better for preventing heart diseases like strokes and heart failure.
Experts from several European institutions said the findings suggest “meal timings” as well as the “nutritional quality of the diet itself” may influence heart health.
Previous studies have found that eating at the ‘wrong times’ can increase your risk of diabetes and cancer.
It’s thought that the timing of our meals, along with exposure to light, impacts our circadian rhythms (internal body clock) and, therefore, our health.
The latest study looked at the health data of 103,389 people from the NutriNet-Santé study – a project launched in 2009 to study the link between nutrition and health.
European scientists found that for every hour someone pushed back having breakfast, there was a six per cent risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
For example, if one person had their first meal at 7am and someone else at 10am, the second person would have an 18 per cent higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease in their lifetime.
The study, published in Nature Communications, found that people who ate their last meal after 9pm saw a 28 per cent increase in the risk of developing cerebrovascular diseases like stroke and brain aneurysm compared to those who wrapped up their final meal before 8pm.
Tracy Parker, dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This interesting study adds to other research that suggests that the timing of our eating habits could also play a role in the risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases.
“There appears to be a link between our internal body clock, digestion and the absorption of nutrients.
“Our body’s circadian rhythms – its natural daily cycle – are designed for eating in the day and sleeping at night.
“If they are disrupted, this could have implications for our heart health.”
The researchers said further work is needed to examine the link between meal timing and cardiovascular health.
They wrote: “This work, needs replication in other large-scale cohorts in different settings and using different and complementary approaches.”