When you eat may be as important as what you eat

The American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2018 held in Chicago was the site of a presentation of research that revealed a benefit for consuming the majority of one’s calories earlier, rather than later, in the day.

For the American Heart Association-funded investigation, Dr. Makarem and colleagues analyzed data from 12,708 participants in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, which included men and women between the ages of 18 to 76. On average, subjects in the study consumed about 35.7% of their daily calories after 6 p.m.

The researchers observed an increase in risk factors for diabetes, including fasting glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance in association with each 1% increase in the number of daily calories consumed later than 6 p.m. Among the 56.6% of the participants who consumed more than 30% of their calories after 6 p.m., there was a 23% higher risk of developing hypertension and a 19% greater risk of becoming prediabetic in comparison with the risks experienced by those who consumed less than 30% of their daily intake after 6 p.m.

There is increasing evidence that when we eat is important, in addition to what we eat and how much we eat,” noted Dr. Makarem, who is a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University Medical Center. “In our study, we show that if you eat most of your calories before 6 p.m., you may have better cardiovascular health. Your meal timing matters and eating earlier in the day may be an important strategy to help lower the risk for heart disease.”

At London Bioidentical Hormones we offer Nutritional Therapy as well as Metabolic Balance therapies as we believe that having a solid foundation of nourishment through food is vital for optimal health and natural hormone balance.