According to a study published Thursday in the journal Communications Medicine, the time you have your breakfast is anything but trivial: a simple time difference could ruin your mental and physical health.
A delay correlated to an increased risk of mortality
Could there be a link between the time when you have breakfast and good health? Yes, according to a study conducted with 3000 adults aged 42 to 94, followed over almost 20 years.
Thanks to the blood tests of the participants, scientists have indeed found that those who had a late breakfast had an increased risk of “physical and psychological diseases “such as significant fatigue, psychological disorders (depression, anxiety), oral problems, as well as a higher probability of multiple morbidity.
“”Worse still, these breakfast delays were correlated at an increased risk of mortality after ten years, compared to people who consume their breakfast earlier in the morning“, Note Julie Boët, dietician-nutritionist.
Another study also highlighted that “Each hour late“At breakfast was associated with a modest but statistically significant increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease. This means that at 9 am – instead of 8 am – for breakfast, the risk is slightly higher.
Late breakfast: a signal from an unhealthy lifestyle?
These observations are not entirely new, since they are part of what is called chrononutrition.
“In other words, the study of the interaction between our internal biological rhythms (the circadian rhythm) and the moment when we ingest foods. Morning metabolism is more” prepared “to receive nutrients: higher insulin sensitivity, better glucose tolerance, less secretion” inappropriate “of metabolic stress hormones when meals are taken early”. specifies Julie Boët.
However, these studies only show associations … and in no case a confirmed causality.
“In other words, eating a late breakfast could be a signal of an unfavorable lifestyle or health (sleep problems, reduced mobility, poor oral health, chronic fatigue), rather than a primary cause of the decrease in life expectancy”, underlines the expert.
There is therefore no need to be alarmed – or at least not for an occasional delay. “If one day we have breakfast later than usual, nothing serious. What matters is the regularity in the long term, and especially the quality of this breakfast and the whole food”, Ensures Julie Boët.
Keep regular meal schedules
If it is not always possible to choose the exact time of your meal, consuming a balanced breakfast at fixed times is recommended. During this meal, favor proteins (eggs, plain yogurt, fresh cheese), good quality lipids (a little nut, oilseeds, or olive oil) and complex carbohydrates (wholemeal bread, oatmeal, fruit).
“This type of breakfast helps to start the day well, stabilize blood sugar, avoid cravings, and positively synchronize its biological rhythm”, indicates the specialist.“Ultimately, it is not so much the hour alone, but how this meal fits into the overall lifestyle”, she concludes.