Night nibbling a no-no
A NEW study has found that people who consume more kilojoules after 6pm have poorer heart health.
We all know that what we eat can have a big impact on our bodies, hence the ongoing debate over red meat and the war against sugar.
However, it is becoming increasingly clear that when we eat can have a significant effect as well.
There is mounting scientific evidence that meal timings matter.
For instance, eating meals earlier in the day has been proven to promote weight loss.
Eating late at night has been linked to a slower metabolism.
What’s more, later mealtimes have been shown to raise inflammatory markers associated with diabetes and heart disease.
New research has found eating more kilojoules in the evening could negatively affect a woman’s heart health.
Scientists from Columbia University analysed the data of 112 healthy women who were an average age of 33.
Taking into account blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, physical activity, diet, weight and smoking status, they were able to give a cardiovascular health score for each participant.
These women also measured their food intake for one week, tracking how much, what and when they ate.
Participants repeated both exercises one year later. Researchers then used the data to calculate the relationship between heart health and meal timings.
The findings showed that those who consumed more kilojoules after 6pm tended to have poorer cardiovascular health.
In fact, for each 1 per cent increase in kilojoule intake after 6pm, their cardiovascular health score declined, as blood pressure and body mass index tended to rise and blood sugar control tended to be poorer.
“So far, lifestyle approaches to prevent heart disease have focused on what we eat and how much we eat,” said the study’s lead author Dr Nour Makarem.
“These preliminary results indicate that intentional eating that is mindful of the timing and proportion of kilojoules in evening meals may represent a simple modifiable behaviour that can help lower heart disease risk,” she said.
While the findings need to be replicated in a larger sample and in different populations to be more credible, they provide interesting insights into how nutrition can affect our heart health.