Recently, we wrote about research that found night owls were more at risk for metabolic concerns. Not only did they eat their meals significantly later in the day, but they also ate less protein and fewer essential vitamins and minerals.
Now, research has found that an early breakfast may aid longevity. A study of more than 31,000 adults 40 and older showed that when a person eats their first and last meal of the day could be linked to longevity.
Eating between 7 and 8 AM was the healthiest choice. People who ate between 8 and 10 AM had a 10 percent higher risk of dying from any cause. People who ate between 10 and noon had a 19 percent higher risk. Eating after noon was linked to a 46 percent higher risk of dying from a heart problem.
For people 50 and older, eating later was linked to a life that was almost 2.5 years shorter on average. But the study only shows a link, not cause and effect.
“Later eating should be interpreted as a potential risk marker, and possibly a modifiable behavior, rather than definitive evidence of a direct causal effect,” said the senior author of the study, Zhilei Shan.
The 31,000 people in the study were participating in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2018. Having data gathered over almost 20 years gives researchers a lot of insight. On average people were active in the study for 8.6 years. During the study, 7,129 people died.
Unlike breakfast, the healthiest time for dinner wasn’t simply eating earlier. It was a curve. Eating before 7 PM was linked to a 13 percent higher risk of death compared to eating between 7 and 8. Eating after midnight was linked to a 27 percent higher risk. The best time appeared to be 8 PM.
However, there are things to note. People who ate early dinners were often older, ill or ate fewer meals. It was possible that their meal timing reflected things about their health rather than caused any health concerns.
Another study on mealtime from the UK also found that older adults who ate an earlier breakfast lived longer. Using a “survival analysis,” the researchers found that 89.5 percent of people who ate earlier in the day were alive, while only 86.7 percent of later eaters were alive after 10 years.
