Skipping breakfast or dining too late would increase cardiovascular risk

(Relaxnews) - American researchers have spent our eating habits under the microscope and shown in a new study that skipping a meal, snacking and not meeting any schedule increased cardiovascular risk.

Our dietary habits have changed in the space of 40 years and the rule of the three daily meals is no longer always vigorous. Plan meals, snacks and refrain from skipping breakfast are all healthy measures to reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

This is what emerges from a scientific statement published on 30 January by the American Heart Association in its journal: Circulation.

A team of researchers at Columbia University in New York (USA) has shown that meal times and their frequency are just as important as what you eat. Our eating habits are indeed linked to biological risk factors and markers such as high blood pressure, obesity and insulin resistance.

Scientists were particularly interested in breakfast which, of all meals, was the one most affected by our lifestyle changes.

After compiling the various studies already carried out on the subject, the researchers indicated that those who used them on a daily basis were less likely to have high cholesterol and blood pressure than those who did not . 20-30% of people who did not have breakfast and snackers throughout the day were at greater risk of gaining weight, becoming obese, having diabetes and heart attacks.

"Mealtimes can affect health because of its impact on the internal clock of the body. Animal studies show that animals fed at a time of inactivity, such as when they sleep, see their internal clock Reset in a way that can alter the nutritional metabolism resulting from increased weight gain, insulin resistance and inflammation. However, further work would need to be done on humans before Established as a fact, "explains Marie-Pierre St-Onge, lead author of this study.

The team also showed a link between occasional fasting, either from time to time, or 1 to 2 times a week, and weight loss, at least in the short term.

Finally, results suggest that late dinner may increase cardiovascular risk, although further investigation is warranted.

The authors of this study recommend eating carefully and planning both the meal times and their contents to "fight the emotional diet" that drives us to eat even without hunger.

Source : laprovence