Shifting meal times on weekends disrupts the body's circadian rhythms and can harm the heart, reports infohub.kz.
The shift in usual meal times between weekdays and weekends, known as "eating jet lag," increases the risk of cardiovascular and ischemic heart disease in men. This is the conclusion of researchers from a large-scale study published in the journal Communications Medicine.
The researchers analyzed data from 104,806 participants in the French NutriNet-Sante project, who were followed for an average of 8.1 years. They compared the midpoint between the first and last meals on weekdays and weekends. Participants were divided into three groups: those with a consistent schedule (difference of no more than 1 hour), those who shifted meals earlier (by more than 1 hour), and those who shifted meals later (by more than 1 hour).
The results showed that men who shifted their meal schedule earlier on weekends had a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular and coronary heart disease compared to those with a stable schedule. Men who shifted meals later had an increased risk of ischemic heart disease.
The association held even after accounting for diet quality, sleep duration, and classic "social jet lag" (sleep schedule shift). The strongest associations were seen in men whose first meal occurred after 8:02 AM. No similar link was found in women.
The authors note that disruption of internal circadian clocks due to inconsistent meal times negatively affects cardiometabolic health.