Most of us know that the best way to keep your heart healthy is to eat healthy, stay active, and limit (or even better avoid) alcohol, smoking, and stress. Of course, all of this is easier said than done. Especially after the last year, these guidelines can sometimes be a little difficult to adhere to. But even if you can’t do everything, a new study suggests that eating a healthy diet, especially with dinner, rather than every other meal of the day, can lower your risk of heart disease. Read on to find out what scientists say to put on your plate tonight.
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They know that a diet high in saturated fats, processed meats, and added sugars can increase your cholesterol levels, and therefore your risk of heart disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that “eating many foods high in saturated fat and trans fats can contribute to heart disease,” while “eating foods high in fiber and low in saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol this can “help prevent high cholesterol.” But what you may not have known is that eating these heart unhealthy foods can affect how badly your cardiovascular health is affected.
The new study, published May 26 in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, included data from 27,911 U.S. adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The researchers conducted interviews with participants about their diet on two non-consecutive days. They then looked for links between eating various fats, carbohydrates, and proteins for breakfast and dinner with participants’ heart disease rates.
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Regardless of the meal, eating more whole carbohydrates like vegetables and grains and less meat can significantly lower your risk of heart disease. But – as a study author Ying Li, PhD, from Harbin Medical University in Harbin, China, said in a statement: Research shows that “People who eat a plant-based dinner high in whole carbohydrates and unsaturated fats lower their risk of heart disease by 10 percent.”
So she concluded, “Meal timing, along with food quality, are important factors to consider when looking for ways to reduce your risk of heart disease.”
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Li points out that “healthy eating is always recommended, especially for those at high risk for heart disease.” However, the results of the study showed that “eating meat and refined carbohydrates for breakfast rather than dinner was associated with a lower risk,” she added.
When it comes to foods that can be riskier in excess, it is better to consume them early in the day than later (and definitely before bed). So if you swap your dinner options for something healthier, but still indulge in a few delicacies at breakfast, your heart will thank you.
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A study by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) published in the International Journal of Obesity in 2010 looked at how different types of foods, consumed at different times, affect your well-being. The researchers found that eating fat in the morning is best because your metabolism is most active when you wake up and the least at night.
In a statement on the results, the researchers said, “The age-old maxim ‘breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar’ might actually be the best advice to help prevent metabolic syndrome.” They point out that metabolic syndrome is characterized by “abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, insulin resistance and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease”.
Some healthy fat breakfast food choices include avocados, eggs, nuts, and yogurt – and toss in that bacon if you want. It’s definitely better than having a burger for dinner.
“Humans eat a mixed diet, and … if you really want to be able to respond efficiently to mixed meals throughout the day, a higher-fat meal in the morning is a good thing.” Molly Bray, PhD, professor of epidemiology at the UAB School of Public Health, said in a statement.
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