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Key Points
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A new study suggests that timing your meals — specifically, avoiding food for three hours before bed — may improve cardiovascular and metabolic health.
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In a study involving adults at higher risk for cardiometabolic disease, participants who followed an extended overnight fast saw improvements in blood pressure, heart rate patterns during sleep, and daytime blood sugar control.
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Researchers say aligning your eating window with your natural sleep-wake cycle could be a practical, nonpharmacological strategy to support heart health and overall metabolic function.
Typically, when experts talk about healthier eating choices, they’re usually referring to what you do — or don’t — put on your plate. But a growing body of research suggests that when you eat your meals may be just as important as what’s on your dinner plate.
In February, researchers from Northwestern Medicine published their findings in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, which examined how simply timing when people stop eating and aligning an overnight fast with their body’s natural sleep-wake cycle could improve key measures of cardiovascular and metabolic health — without changing a single thing in caloric intake.
The research team recruited 39 volunteers aged 36 to 75, all of whom were categorized as overweight or had obesity and were at higher risk for cardiometabolic disease. They split them into two groups: one to follow an extended overnight fasting intervention, and a control group to maintain their usual sleeping and eating habits. The only difference was that the extended fast group was asked to avoid eating for three hours before bed. Both groups dimmed lights three hours before bedtime.
After the seven-and-a-half-week experiment, the team found that those who undertook the extended fast experienced improvements in nighttime blood pressure, heart rate patterns during sleep, and certain measures of daytime blood-sugar control. However, the intervention did not show an improvement in a key measure of overall insulin sensitivity.
“Timing our fasting window to work with the body’s natural wake-sleep rhythms can improve the coordination between the heart, metabolism, and sleep, all of which work together to protect cardiovascular health,” Dr. Daniela Grimaldi, first author of the study and research associate professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said.
Specifically, the researchers pointed out that their study showed blood pressure dropped by 3.5% in the extended fast group and heart rate decreased by 5%, both of which, they said, are “an important sign of cardiovascular health.” These participants also exhibited faster heart rates during the day when active, demonstrating a “stronger day-night pattern,” which they added is “linked to better cardiovascular health.”
Related: A New Study Says When You Eat Is More Important Than When You Sleep
Most importantly, the researchers noted that the participants maintained a 90% adherence rate during the study, indicating they successfully followed the extended fasting and light-dimming protocol. This demonstrates that others may find this approach feasible. They also added that this could provide people with a “non-pharmacological strategy for improving cardiometabolic health.”
And, really, you can do it right now if you want to. As Dr. Phyllis Zee, a corresponding author on the study, added as a reminder, “It’s not only how much and what you eat, but also when you eat relative to sleep that is important for the physiological benefits of time-restricted eating.”
Reviewed by
Lauren Manaker MS, RDN, LD, CLEC: Lauren is an award-winning registered dietitian and three-time book author, with more than 22 years in the field.
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