- Research suggests that people with diabetes may be able to eat starchy vegetables like potatoes earlier in the day.
- According to study data, people with diabetes are less likely than others to get heart disease if their meals are timed.
- It was important to eat carbs at breakfast, whole grain at lunch, greens at dinner, for the best results.
If you have
Diabetes
, eating more carbs in the morning and leafy greens at night may help you live longer, according to new research published March 15 in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Harbin Medical University in China examined data from 4642 Americans suffering from diabetes over 11 years. NHANES Study. Based on 24-hour food questionnaires, they compared their eating habits with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease levels over time.
Researchers found that participants who ate carbs-rich vegetables like potatoes earlier in their day were less likely die.
Heart disease
. This was also true for participants who ate whole grains at lunch and those who ate dark leafy vegetables at dinner.
According to data, however, eating too much processed meat in the evening is associated with a higher chance of developing heart disease.
The researchers’ data modeling suggested that switching even a tenth of a serving to a more ideal meal time was linked to a significant risk reduction — for instance, swapping a portion of potatoes from dinner to breakfast, or whole grains from breakfast to lunch.
The findings suggest that people with diabetes could benefit from nutrient timing to match their food to their natural biological rhythms of insulin sensitivity. This would increase their longevity.
“Nutritional guidelines and intervention strategies for diabetes should integrate the optimal consumption times for foods in the future,” Dr. Qingrao Son, co-author of the study and researcher at Harbin Medical University, said in a press release.
Research has shown that light meals and a hearty breakfast may also have health benefits.
This study was supported by Research done by the same authors in the pastAccording to the study, people with diabetes have higher survival rates when they eat more breakfast than dinner.
Whether you have diabetes or not, meal timing can be important. Experts previously stated that skipping breakfast is not a problem for healthy eating, but it can lead to higher blood sugar levels and possible performance dips at work, school and the gym.
A healthy weight is linked to eating more in the morning and less at night. This may be because you can avoid snack attacks late at night that lead to unhealthy food choices like chips and alcohol.
While more research is needed on meal timing, what you eat overall may still be more important than when you eat, studies suggest.