The breakfast mistake that can raise your risk of death by up to 29%

Key Points:

• A large study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition involving over 31,000 adults found that eating the first meal of the day later, especially after noon, is linked to a 29% higher risk of early death from any cause.
• Eating breakfast between 8 and 10 a.m. was associated with a 10% increased risk of early death, which rose to 19% for those eating between 10 a.m. and noon, compared to eating between 7 and 8 a.m.
• The risk of cardiovascular death was 46% higher for those who ate their first meal after noon, and individuals aged 50 and older who ate later had a shorter life expectancy by nearly 2.5 years on average.
• While the study shows an association rather than causation, it supports growing evidence that meal timing, not just meal content, influences health and longevity, with later eating potentially disrupting biological clocks and increasing stress and blood sugar levels.
• Limitations of the study include reliance on a single 24-hour eating record and lack of data on sleep and activity patterns, suggesting further research is needed to confirm these findings.