Eating early in the morning and evening appears to limit the risk of cardiovascular disease, study finds

The time at which we eat the first and last meal of the day seems to have an influence on our cardiovascular risk, concludes a large study, published Thursday, led in particular by Inserm.

Early breakfast, before 9 a.m., is a priori a good habit, indicates a study carried out jointly by Inserm, Inrae, and the Sorbonne and published in the journal Nature, Thursday December 14. In detail, the little one who eats breakfast at 8 a.m., instead of 9 a.m., statistically reduces his risk of cardiovascular disease by 6%. And whoever eats breakfast at 7 a.m. instead of 8 a.m. reduces it by an additional 6%. This is not the only lesson from this study. Early dinner counts

The results show that those who eat their evening meal after 9 p.m. see their cardiovascular risk increase by 28% compared to those who dine before 8 p.m. This is particularly the case for women. And if you combine an early dinner and breakfast, for example 7 p.m. for supper and 7 a.m. for the first meal, this allows for an optimal nighttime fasting period.

The beneficial role of night fasting

A sufficiently long night fast is beneficial for health. This study shows a link between an overnight fasting duration of more than 12 hours and a reduction in the risk of cerebrovascular disease, such as stroke, by at least 7%. Previous studies have also shown that an overnight fast of 12 hours or more is associated with less weight gain and better blood pressure.

This publication from Inserm, Inrae, and the Sorbonne currently only mentions statistical links. These are still solid links with 100,000 people followed for more than 10 years, and statistical biases, such as tobacco, alcohol and lack of sleep which could distort the results on heart health which have been ruled out. If the cause and effect link has not been demonstrated, this observation is not surprising, confirms Bernard Srour, Professor of epidemiology at Inrae. He is one of the authors of this work. The way the body metabolizes, manages, food is not the same
in the evening and in the morning. The regulation of sugar by insulin, for example, is done much more easily in the morning than in the evening. Especially if we start to secrete melatonin, the sleep hormone.
So obviously, it’s not just the schedule that matters. There is also the nutritional quality of the meals. Of the 18 million deaths due to cardiovascular disease worldwide each year, 40% are attributable to diet.