In the hustle and bustle of modern life, it can be all too easy to skip a meal or two. you can even do it intentionally. A new study suggests that not eating one of the three standard meals a day could have a serious downside.
In a study of 24,011 adults in the United States over the age of 40, eating just one meal a day was associated with an increased overall mortality risk. Skipping breakfast was associated with increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD), while skipping lunch or dinner was associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, including increased risk of CVD.
There was even a problem for those who ate all three meals but ate them too close together. Eating two meals 4.5 hours apart was also associated with a higher risk of death from all causes.
While the study appears to complicate the messages it suggests Intermittent fasting can be good for youThe data highlights the importance of regular stops to refuel the body.
Our research revealed that people who eat just one meal a day are more likely to die than those who eat more meals a day. says epidemiologist Yangbo Sun from the University of Tennessee.
“Based on these results, we recommend eating at least two to three meals spread out throughout the day.”
About 30 percent of the study participants regularly ate fewer than three meals a day. According to the data, those who were younger, male, non-Hispanic black, with less education and lower family income were more likely to skip meals.
Skipping meals was also more common among those who smoked more, drank more alcohol, experienced food insecurity, ate less nutritious foods, snacked more and consumed less energy overall.
This study is not comprehensive enough to determine whether skipping a meal actually causes premature death, if only because there is an association that warrants further investigation. Other factors may be involved that influence both eating habits and mortality risk.
However, the research team adjusted their findings to account for differences in several dietary and lifestyle factors, including smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity levels, energy intake, quality of diet and food insecurity, and the link still exists.
Our findings are based on observations of public data and do not indicate causation. says epidemiologist Wei Bao from the University of Iowa. “However, what we observe makes sense in metabolism.”
This “metabolic feeling” refers to the way that skipping specific meals at certain intervals generally results in more energy being expended at one time. This can cause imbalances in the way our body regulates glucose and lead to deterioration in the metabolic system.
the latest statistics It is suggested that about 59 percent of men and about 63 percent of women in the United States eat three proper meals a day. This is a large segment of the population that can be put at risk by missing out on breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Of course, there are all sorts of reasons for this – work hours, time pressures, poverty, different diets, fasting approaches – but the team behind the study hope it will encourage further analysis of the importance of eating regularly.
“Our research contributes to much-needed evidence on the relationship between eating behaviors and mortality in the context of meal timing and daily meal duration. [meal] a period,” bao dice.
Research published in Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.