Research says irregular eating habit contributes to heart disease
A new research by the American Heart Association journal Circulation has found that regular eating patterns and planning the timing and frequency of meals reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
The study comes at an auspicious time as many individuals now skip meals especially breakfast on account of busy work schedules. Many Nigerians also have not adopted healthy eating habits preferring snack or load up on unhealthy fast foods.
Sarah Abagai, head of Nutrition and Dietetics at the National Hospital Abuja said that people engaging in unwholesome dietary practices are simply waging war against their own health, and poor dietary habits of many people have resulted in disease conditions they are not even aware of.
The American Heart Association research found that adult behavioral patterns of eating meals and snacks have changed over the past 40 years in the United States.
For women, there has been a reduction in energy intake from meals, from 82 percent to 77 percent, and an increase in energy intake from snacks, from 18 percent to 23 percent. Similar trends have been reported in men.
The tendency to eat three standard meals per day has also declined in both men and women. People in the U.S. now have a habit of eating around the clock rather than sticking to certain meal times.
The researchers provided evidence to suggest that when and how often individuals eat may affect their risk factors for heart attack and stroke, as well as other cardiac and blood vessel conditions.
“Meal timing may affect health due to its impact on the body’s internal clock,” says Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Ph.D., writing group chair, and an associate professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University in New York City.
“In animal studies, it appears that when animals receive food while in an inactive phase, such as when they are sleeping, their internal clocks are reset in a way that can alter nutrient metabolism, resulting in greater weight gain, insulin resistance, and inflammation,” St-Onge explains. “However, more research would need to be done in humans before that can be stated as a fact,” she adds.
Breakfast is often described as the “most important meal of the day,” yet research indicates that many adults skip breakfast.
The decline in breakfast consumption has been associated with an increase in obesity rates. Furthermore, skipping breakfast has been connected with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and chronic disease.
The AHA researchers suggest that if adults were to eat breakfast every day, the adverse effects associated with glucose and insulin metabolism would be reduced.
They also suggest that comprehensive dietary advice that supports daily breakfast consumption may help people to maintain healthy dietary habits throughout the day.
Meal timing and frequency have been linked to heart disease and stroke risk factors, which include high blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose levels, as well as obesity, insulin resistance, and insulin sensitivity.
The statement notes that while the research shows that there is a relationship between meal habits and cardiovascular health, there is currently not enough evidence to show that certain eating patterns cause better and lasting benefits.
Anthonia Obokoh