A significant study has indicated that eating meals earlier may lower the risk of having heart attacks and strokes.
A study conducted in France with over 100,000 participants revealed that persons who skipped breakfast and consumed their first meal later in the day were more likely to acquire cardiovascular disease.
Eating supper after 9 pm was linked to higher rates of stroke, particularly in women.
The study involved scientists from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord and other institutions. They said the link could be explained by food’s role in synchronising internal body clocks and controlling blood pressure rhythms. “Eating late at night can disrupt this system and lead to metabolic disturbances,” they said.
They also pointed out studies showing “sensitivity to insulin and to elevated glucose concentration are greatest in the early morning and decline over the day”, suggesting that the body’s metabolism “is prepared to anticipate and digest energy sources at specific times of the day”.
All things considered, a one-hour delay in breakfast was associated with a six per cent increased risk of cardiovascular disease. When compared to eating before 8 pm, eating after 9 pm was associated with a 28% higher risk of cerebrovascular disease, including stroke.
Additionally, the researchers discovered that a longer overnight fast - that is, the interval between a day's last meal and its first meal - was associated with a decreased risk of cerebrovascular illness.