Study on Meal Timing and CVD Risk

Washington - There is ample emerging evidence that suggests that not only the quantity but also the quality and food sources of macronutrients play an important role in cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, limited studies have examined the association of meal timing of different quality of macronutrients with CVD risk.

Researchers have found in a new nationwide study that consumption of a plant-based diet at dinner time reduces CVD risk by ten percent. Further, people who eat too many refined carbs and fatty meats for dinner have a higher risk of heart disease than those who eat a similar diet for breakfast. Therefore, substitution of low-quality carbohydrates or animal protein by high-quality carbohydrates or plant protein at dinner could reduce CVD risk.

The study has been published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Cardiovascular diseases like congestive heart failure, heart attack, and stroke are the number one cause of death globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year. Eating lots of saturated fat, processed meats, and added sugars can raise your cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease. Eating a heart-healthy diet with more whole carbohydrates like vegetables and grains and less meat can significantly offset the risk of cardiovascular disease.

"Meal timing along with food quality are important factors to consider when looking for ways to lower your risk of heart disease. Our study found people who eat a plant-based dinner with more whole carbs and unsaturated fats reduced their risk of heart disease by ten percent," said study author Ying Li of the Harbin Medical University in Harbin, China. "It's always recommended to eat a healthy diet, especially for those at high risk for heart disease, but we found that eating meat and refined carbs for breakfast instead of dinner was associated with a lower risk."

The researchers studied 27,911 U.S. adults' data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and analyzed dietary information collected during interviews with the participants over two non-consecutive days. They examined the association between eating different fats, carbohydrates, and proteins at breakfast or dinner with participants' rates of heart disease. The analysis found eating a plant-based dinner reduced heart disease risk by ten percent.

Other authors of the study include:

• Wanying Hou
• Jian Gao
• Wenbo Jiang
• Wei Wei
• Huanyu Wu
• Yuntao Zhang
• Changhao Sun
• Tianshu Han of the Harbin Medical University

For further reference log on to:

Meal Timing of Subtypes of Macronutrients Consumption with Cardiovascular Diseases: NHANES, 2003-2016