Longevity and diet are always intertwined, and there is much discussion about the importance of a good breakfast, but not much is known about how its timing affects human lifespan. A new study indicates that having breakfast early and avoiding added sugars are key factors in reducing the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol.
Breakfast sets the stage for the rest of a person's day and possibly their entire life. Certain foods are synonymous with health risks related to high blood sugar, cholesterol levels, and cardiovascular diseases. Given this, what are the worst types of breakfast foods that not only affect your overall health but also your lifespan, and when is the best time to consume them?
Research has actually found that healthy eating can extend lifespan by six to seven years for middle-aged adults, while for younger individuals, it can increase lifespan by about ten years. The main dietary risk factors for death include diets high in sodium, low in whole grains, low in fruits, low in nuts and seeds, low in vegetables, and low in omega-3 fats.
Breakfast is already said to be the most important meal of the day, but experts now believe that having it at dawn can help you live longer as well. Eating breakfast at 7 AM can increase average life expectancy, but waiting until 10 AM may increase the risk of early death.
Researchers from the City University of New York tracked over 34,000 Americans aged over 40 for several decades, with participants recording their meal times, and scientists mapped this data against mortality rates over the study's duration.
The results, published in the journal Nutrition, showed that those who ate breakfast between 6 AM and 7 AM were 6 percent less likely to die early from major diseases such as heart disease or cancer compared to those who regularly had breakfast at 8 AM, and 12 percent less likely to be at risk.
The researchers also noted that those who ate breakfast later exhibited gradually lower insulin production and increased blood sugar levels, leading to diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, according to the British newspaper Express.
