Older people who begin to shift the time that they eat breakfast to a little later than usual may be at a higher risk of an earlier death, according to a recent study.
Researchers at Mass General Brigham in Boston found that as people age, they tend to eat both breakfast and dinner at later times of the day. Those who are genetically predisposed to prefer later sleep and wake times — so-called “night owls” — are more likely to eat meals at later times.
The shift in eating patterns narrows the overall time window in which people eat over the course of a day. The researchers wanted to uncover whether these changes in eating patterns might be associated with poorer health outcomes.
As part of the study, the researchers analyzed data and blood samples from nearly 3,000 adults in the United Kingdom. They were between the ages of 42 and 94 at the start of the study period and were followed for more than two decades.
The researchers discovered that eating breakfast later appears to be linked to having physical and mental health conditions, including depression, fatigue and poor oral health. Later mealtimes are also linked to poorer sleep and difficulty with meal preparation.
The researchers even discovered that a pattern of later breakfasts was linked to an increased risk of earlier death.
In a summary of the findings, lead author Hassan Dashti — a nutrition scientist and circadian biologist at Massachusetts General Hospital — says:
“Our research suggests that changes in when older adults eat, especially the timing of breakfast, could serve as an easy-to-monitor marker of their overall health status. Patients and clinicians can possibly use shifts in mealtime routines as an early warning sign to look into underlying physical and mental health issues.”
He adds that urging older adults to maintain consistent meal schedules “could become part of broader strategies to promoting healthy aging and longevity.”
The study results are especially relevant during a time when time-restricted eating and intermittent fasting have become more popular, Dashti says. The researchers’ findings indicate that older people who adopt these eating patterns could potentially face greater risks to their health than their younger counterparts.
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