Heart attack, stroke… here is the time to eat to limit the risks

You value what you eat, but do you also care about your meal times? According to a study published by INRAE, the national research institute for agriculture, food and the environment, in collaboration with the Institute of Global Health of Barcelona, ​​Inserm and the Sorbonne Paris Nord University , “eating late for the first or last time of the day may be associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease“.

Cardiovacular diseases: 20 million deaths per year

A true scourge of public health, cardiovascular diseases are responsible for nearly 20 million deaths each year worldwide. They remain the main cause of mortality. At the origin of these pathologies, diet and lifestyle have a preponderant 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 from the NutriNet-Santé cohort, which includes 79% women with an average age of 42 years. Their objective was 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 a habit of eating for the first time at 9:00 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 disease, such as stroke, compared to a last food intake before 8:00 p.m., especially among women”.

Increase the duration of nighttime fasting to reduce cardiovascular risks

Eating earlier in the evening therefore increases the duration of the night fast, which is associated with a “reduced risk of cerebrovascular disease“add the scientists, who point to chrononutrition”as an emerging 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 “eat your first and last meal earlier“, which allows you to have a “longer period of nighttime fasting” and “helps prevent the risk of cardiovascular disease”.