The timing of a person's first meal of the day could be associated with their longevity, with later breakfast times potentially increasing the risk of early death, new research indicates. A study of more than 31,000 adults aged 40 and older, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that individuals who consumed their first meal after noon had a 29% higher risk of dying from any cause compared to those who ate earlier.
The research analyzed participants' eating patterns over a 24-hour period, defining the 'eating window' as the time between the first and last meal. A trend emerged showing that the later the first meal was consumed, the greater the associated risk.
Specifically, compared to eating breakfast between 7 and 8 a.m., consuming breakfast between 8 and 10 a.m. was linked to a 10% higher risk of early death from any cause. This risk increased to 19% for those who ate their first meal between 10 a.m. and noon.
The study also observed a similar pattern concerning cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke. Eating after noon was associated with a 46% higher risk of cardiovascular death when compared to eating breakfast between 7 and 8 a.m.
Furthermore, individuals aged 50 and older who ate later in the day had a shorter life expectancy, averaging nearly 2.5 years less. The findings suggest an association between later eating times and decreased longevity, adding to a growing body of evidence that meal timing, in addition to food choices, may impact health.
Previous research has indicated that later breakfast times in older adults may also correlate with increased risks of depression, fatigue, and oral health issues. Some studies have also shown that consistently eating later can disrupt the body's 24-hour biological clock, leading to blood sugar fluctuations and elevated stress hormone levels.
Senior author Zhilei Shan stated that later eating should be considered a potential risk marker and a possibly modifiable behavior, rather than definitive proof of a direct causal effect. The study's limitations include examining only a single 24-hour eating window and not accounting for other factors such as sleep patterns and activity timing.