The two changes to your evening routine that could have a measurable impact on heart health
Dimming the lights and avoiding eating within three hours before bed can have a positive effect on your mood. blood pressureHeart rhythms and blood sugar control in at-risk adults heart diseaseA new study was found.
Scientists wanted to investigate whether it would be better to match nightly fasting with a person’s natural sleep and wake cycle. heart health and in general metabolism.
Previous studies have shown that the body’s internal clock, i.e. circadian rhythmIt plays an important role in regulating a number of bodily processes.
Poor metabolic health has been shown to increase the risk of chronic conditions such as: type 2 diabetesnonalcoholic fatty liver disease and heart disease.
In the new study, researchers from Northwestern Medicine in the US investigated how the timing of the last meal of the day could be optimized for the best heart health and metabolic benefits.
In the study, which lasted 7.5 weeks, 39 overweight individuals who stopped eating at least three hours before bedtime were compared with those who continued their normal eating habits.
Participants were assigned to either a group that fasted overnight for 13 to 16 hours or a control group that maintained the habitual fasting window of 11 to 13 hours.
Both groups dimmed their lights three hours before bed; this was a measure previously shown to align the body’s circadian rhythm with a more natural cycle of light and dark.
The scientists focused only on adjusting the participants’ eating times, not reducing their calorie intake.
Those who adjusted the timing of their last meal saw their nighttime blood pressure and heart rate decrease significantly, adjusting to a healthier pattern.
Their pancreas also responded more effectively when glucose was administered, indicating increased insulin release and more stable blood sugar levels, the scientists said.
“Timing our fasting window to work with the body’s natural wake-sleep rhythms may improve coordination between the heart, metabolism, and sleep, all of which work together to maintain cardiovascular health,” said Daniela Grimaldi, author of the study published in the journal Health Sciences. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.
Eating earlier and anchoring fasting to times when people are mostly asleep are realistic changes that could be achieved for the group of high-risk individuals studied, the researchers said, and suggested a different intervention tactic compared to dietary changes.
“Not only how much and what you eat, but also when you eat relative to sleep is important for the physiological benefits of time-restricted eating,” Dr Grimaldi said.
Researchers hope to test the benefits of similar fasting approaches in larger trials.
