These are the results of a study by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal).
The risk of developing type 2 diabetes is 59% greater for individuals who consume breakfast after 9 a.m. as opposed to those who consume breakfast before 8 a.m. This is the primary finding of a study in which ISGlobal, a "la Caixa" Foundation-supported organization, monitored over one hundred thousand participants in a cohort from France. By altering not only the composition but also the timing of our meals, we can reduce our risk of developing diabetes, according to the findings.
Diabetes type 2 is linked to risk factors that are controllable, including smoking, an unhealthy lifestyle, and physical inactivity.
The timing of our meals, however, could also be a significant factor.
Anna Palomar-Cros, an ISGlobal researcher and the study's first author, explains, "We know that meal timing plays a crucial role in regulating circadian rhythms and glucose and lipid control, but few studies have examined the relationship between fasting or meal timing and type 2 diabetes."
Additionally, the study revealed that consuming food after 10 pm appeared to elevate the likelihood of developing the disease, whereas a higher frequency of meals (approximately five times daily) was linked to a reduced incidence of the condition.
On the contrary, extended fasting proves advantageous solely when implemented in conjunction with an early supper and breakfast (both preceding 8:00 am).
"Our results suggest that consuming a first meal before 8 am and a last meal before 7 pm may help reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes," concludes ISGlobal researcher and study co-author Manolis Kogevinas.
Indeed, the ISGlobal team had previously presented empirical support for the correlation between consuming supper early and a reduced likelihood of developing breast or prostate cancer.
These findings provide further support for the notion that chrononutrition (the relationship between diet, circadian rhythms, and health) can be utilized to prevent chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes.
A collaboration between an ISGlobal team and an INSERM team in France was undertaken to examine the correlation between meal timing and frequency and the occurrence of type 2 diabetes in the French NutriNet-Santé cohort of 103,312 adults (of which 79% were women).
The participants documented their 24-hour dietary intake and beverage consumption, along with the schedule of their meals, on three non-consecutive days, through online dietary records.
The dietary records were averaged by the research team during the initial two years of follow-up, after which the health of the participants was evaluated for the subsequent seven years, on average.
Breakfast and dinner early
During the investigation period, 963 new cases of type 2 diabetes were identified.
Those who consistently consumed breakfast after 9 a.m. had a considerably elevated risk of developing the disease in comparison to those who ate breakfast before 8 a.m. "Biologically, this makes sense, as skipping breakfast is known to affect glucose and lipid control, as well as insulin levels," according to Palomar-Cros.
"This is consistent with two meta-analyses that conclude that skipping breakfast increases the risk of type 2 diabetes," according to her.