New research finds that eating more calories in the evening is associated with poorer cardiovascular health in women.
Share on PintereEating more of the day’s calories after 6 p.m. is linked with poorer heart health in a new study.
Evidence is accumulating that meal times can impact cardiometabolic health.
One recent study, for example, showed that eating meals earlier in the day can help people lose weight, while eating later in the day may promote weight gain and slow down metabolism.
These studies also showed that later mealtimes raise inflammatory markers that are usually associated with diabetes and heart disease.
Other studies, in mice and human participants, showed that setting strict mealtimes can help control blood sugar levels.
Now, new research adds to this mounting evidence and suggests that eating more calories in the evening may negatively affect women’s cardiovascular health.
The new research is preliminary and will be presented at the American Heart Association’s (AHA’s) Scientific Sessions 2019, which is taking place in Philadelphia, PA.
Nour Makarem, Ph.D., an associate research scientist at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, in New York, is the lead author of the study.
Studying eating patterns and heart health
Makarem and colleagues recruited 112 healthy women, who were 33 years old, on average, to participate in the study.
The researchers examined the participants’ cardiovascular health at baseline and 1 year later using Life’s Simple 7 — a measure of cardiovascular health that comprises seven modifiable risk factors, as established by the AHA.
Life’s Simple 7 account for blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, physical activity, diet, weight, and smoking status. Based on these factors, the researchers calculated a cardiovascular health score for each participant.
The women also used food diaries on their cell phones to track and report how much, what, and when they ate for 1 week at baseline and another week 12 months later.
The researchers used the data from the electronic diaries to calculate the relationship between cardiovascular health and the timing of the meals.
