Having Early Breakfast Could Reduce Diabetes Risk

• A Northwestern University study has reported that individuals who eat breakfast before 8:30 in the morning have lower chances of developing diseases such as diabetes.
• Study participants, whose health and dietary habits were assessed, were divided into groups according to the total time they ate and the time they first ate.
• Results showed that those who ate first (before 8:30 am) were found to have reduced insulin resistance as well as lower blood sugar levels.

A new study suggests that the timing of your eating can lower your odds of developing type 2 diabetes. By eating breakfast earlier than 8.30 a.m, your insulin resistance is reduced, leading to lower blood sugar levels.  

The Northwestern University study, which stemmed from previous studies that indicated eating over a shorter time frame daily benefitted metabolic health, analyzed the health and dietary intake of 10,574 US adults who enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

The subjects were divided into groups based on the total time they eat, which included: less than 10 hours across the day, 10–13 hours, and more than 13 hours. They were also asked whether they started eating each day before or after 8:30 am.

While findings revealed that fasting blood sugar rates between the groups did not differ significantly, the team reported higher insulin resistance from those who ate over a shorter duration across the day, and lower across all groups that started eating before 8.30 in the morning.

“We found people who started eating earlier in the day had lower blood sugar levels and less insulin resistance, regardless of whether they restricted their food intake to less than ten hours a day or their food intake was spread over more than 13 hours daily,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Marriam Ali.

Insulin resistance develops when excess glucose in the blood reduces the ability of cells to absorb and use blood sugar as energy. Over time, the pancreas’ ability to release insulin begins to decrease, putting people with insulin resistance at higher risks of developing type 2 diabetes.

“These findings suggest that timing is more strongly associated with metabolic measures than duration, and support early eating strategies,” says Dr. Ali, who added that hopefully, the outcomes would further aid them in understanding nutritional strategies that can tackle the diabetic epidemic.

The full results of the study were presented virtually at the ENDO 2021, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society.

Source: Study Finds