DEADLY TREND
Skipping breakfast could DOUBLE your risk of dying from heart disease, scientists warn
Plus watch our video on how to lose weight effectively, from Dr Clare Bailey
PEOPLE who skip breakfast are at a higher risk from heart disease, a study suggests.
Trendy intermittent fasting — popular for weight loss with celebs like Hugh Jackman and Jennifer Aniston — may not be risk-free, Chinese researchers found.
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People who only ate in an eight-hour window were 91 per cent more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than those who ate normally over 12 to 16 hours.
Dr Victor Zhong, of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said: “We were surprised to find that people who followed time-restricted eating were more likely to die from heart disease.
“Even though this type of diet has been popular due to its potential short-term benefits, our research clearly shows that a shorter eating duration was not associated with living longer.
“It’s crucial for patients, particularly those with heart conditions, to be aware of the link between an eight-hour eating window and increased risk of cardiovascular death.”
Read more on heart health
Around 7.6million Brits live with a heart or circulatory disease currently and the conditions cause a quarter of all deaths in the country.
Intermittent fasting is a type of food regime that involves restricting when you can eat to a certain time window.
It has become increasingly popular among celebrities and influencers, with fans claiming it can cause a host of benefits including weight-loss and boosted metabolism.
Previous research has shown time-restricted eating can improve blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol in the short-term.
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The latest study, due to be presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention conference, looked at how it affects heart health in the long-term.
Researchers tracked diet patterns and health records in 20,078 adults aged 49 on average.
Over an average of eight years, 2,797 died, with 840 deaths from heart disease.
People who said they only ate in eight-hour windows were at nearly double the risk of dying from heart disease compared to those eating over longer periods.
WORDS OF CAUTION
However, independent experts said it was not clear why people were restricting the hours they eat during the study, which may have impacted its results.
Eating during a shorter window could be something people do because of poverty or stress at work — both of which can increase the risk of heart disease.
Dr Duane Mellor, of Aston University, said: “We need to be very careful not to generate concerning headlines and stories based on such limited information.
“It is perhaps what you eat and your overall lifestyle that is more important than if you ate all your food in less than eight hours on two days in the last decade.”
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How to lose weight safely
Losing weight should be a long-term commitment to healthier living, rather than any drastic measures.
The NHS tips - which can be adopted slowly - include:
- Get active for 150 minutes a week – you can break this up into shorter sessions
- Aim to get your 5 A Day – 80g of fresh, canned or frozen fruit or vegetables count as 1 portion
- Aim to lose 1 to 2lbs, or 0.5 to 1kg, a week
- Read food labels – products with more green colour coding than amber and red are often a healthier option
- Swap sugary drinks for water – if you do not like the taste, add slices of lemon or lime for flavour
- Cut down on food that's high in sugar and fat – start by swapping sugary cereal for wholegrain alternatives
- Share your weight loss plan with someone you trust – they can help motivate you when you have a bad day
Read about:
- The five fat loss foundations
- The calorie formula for weight loss
- The perfect portion sizes for meals to lose weight
- Sun Health's 8-week weight loss kick start plan
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