No need to ditch the fry-up! Fatty meats are not as bad for you at BREAKFAST as they are at dinner, study finds
- Chinese researchers used a large study examining US diet and heart health
- The team examined the link between heart disease risk and time of eating foods
- They found eating fatty foods in the morning was better than eating it for dinner
- People should eat a plant-based dinner to reduce heart disease risk, they found
Eating fatty meats such as bacon, sausages and other fry-up staples is better in the morning for breakfast than for dinner in the evening, a new study has revealed.
Researchers studied data from 27,911 US adults including information on health and diet collected over two days to examine the link between food and heart disease.
The team from Harbin Medical University in Harbin, China found that eating a plant-based evening meal reduced the risk of heart disease by 10 per cent.
People who eat too many refined carbs and fatty meats for dinner have a higher risk of heart disease than those who eat a similar diet for breakfast, they explained.
Eating fatty meats such as bacon, sausages and other fry-up staples is better in the morning for breakfast than for dinner in the evening, a new study revealed
The team examined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) that had scientists question participants over two non-consecutive days.
They analysed the dietary information collected during interviews and examined the association between eating different fats, carbohydrates and proteins at breakfast or dinner with participants’ rates of heart disease.
Cardiovascular diseases like congestive heart failure, heart attack and stroke are the number one cause of death globally, according to the study authors.
They say it takes about 17.9 million lives each year and the problem is growing.
Eating lots of saturated fat, processed meats and added sugars can raise your cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease.
Eating a heart-healthy diet with more whole carbohydrates like vegetables and grains and less meat can significantly offset the risk of cardiovascular disease.
‘Meal timing along with food quality are important factors to consider when looking for ways to lower your risk of heart disease,’ said study author Ying Li.
‘Our study found people who eat a plant-based dinner with more whole carbs and unsaturated fats reduced their risk of heart disease by ten percent.
Researchers studied data from 27,911 US adults including information on health and diet collected over two days to examine the link between food and heart disease (stock image)
‘It’s always recommended to eat a healthy diet, especially for those at high risk for heart disease, but we found that eating meat and refined carbs for breakfast instead of dinner was associated with a lower risk.’
Earlier studies, not related to this one, have shown the benefit of eating a large breakfast and smaller dinner – particularly on obese diabetics.
A blow out breakfast, ‘average’ lunch and small dinner may be the best combination for a healthy life, according to the researchers of that 2018 Tel Aviv University study.
People who eat too many refined carbs and fatty meats for dinner have a higher risk of heart disease than those who eat a similar diet for breakfast, they explained
The combination saw greater weight loss over the traditionally recommended six small meals over the course of a day.
Sticking to three meals a day of varying sizes also led to a drop in glucose levels and insulin requirement for the diabetes patients.
The findings have been published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.