A study from Mass General Brigham suggests that food timing could be a more significant factor in cardiovascular health than sleep timing, particularly for those working night shifts. The research, published in Nature Communications, indicates that eating only during the daytime may help mitigate health risks linked to shift work.
While previous studies have shown that night shifts are associated with heart health issues, this new study points to the timing of food consumption as a potential solution. “Circadian misalignment – when our behavioral cycle is out of sync with our internal body clock – increases cardiovascular risk factors,” said Dr. Frank A.J.L. Scheer, senior author of the study and professor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “We wanted to find ways to lower this risk, and our research suggests that food timing could be key.”
Animal studies have shown that aligning food intake with the internal body clock can help reduce the negative effects of staying awake at night. To test this in humans, Scheer and his team conducted a two-week study with 20 healthy young participants at the Brigham and Women’s Center for Clinical Investigation. Participants had no access to external time cues such as windows or electronics.
The study followed a “constant routine protocol,” which isolates the effects of circadian rhythms from environmental factors. After staying awake for 32 hours in a dimly lit environment, participants were divided into two groups. One group ate during the night, while the other only ate during the daytime, mirroring typical night shift work conditions. Both groups had identical nap schedules, ensuring that any differences in outcomes were due to food timing, not sleep timing.
Researchers measured various cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure, autonomic nervous system markers, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, which contributes to blood clotting. They found that participants who ate both day and night had increased cardiovascular risk factors after the simulated night work. In contrast, the group that ate only during the daytime saw no increase in these risk factors, despite consuming the same foods.
While the study’s small sample size and short duration are limitations, the results suggest that food timing could play a crucial role in mitigating health risks. “Our study controlled for every factor that could affect the results, so we can confidently say that food timing is driving these changes in cardiovascular risk,” said Dr. Sarah Chellappa, lead author and associate professor at the University of Southampton.
Although further research is needed to explore the long-term effects, the findings indicate that adjusting eating patterns could improve health, especially for night workers, people with insomnia, and those with irregular sleep cycles. Avoiding or limiting nighttime eating may help reduce the cardiovascular risks associated with shift work and other disruptions to the natural sleep-wake cycle.
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