Nutrition advice often emphasizes the importance of diet content, but recent research highlights the significance of meal timing. A comprehensive study involving over 31,000 U.S. adults has uncovered a potential link between the timing of meals and differences in mortality risks and life expectancy.
Key Findings on Meal Timing
The research, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, analyzed participants’ meal timings, specifically focusing on when they had their first and last meals of the day. It revealed that individuals who began eating later in the day had higher risks of mortality from all causes and cardiovascular diseases.
Impact of First Meal Timing
Those who had breakfast later faced increased mortality risks. Compared to individuals who ate breakfast between 7 and 8 a.m., those delaying breakfast saw a steady rise in mortality risk. Notably, participants who waited until after noon faced a 29% increase in all-cause mortality and a 43% rise in cardiovascular-related deaths.
Even for those eating their first meal between 10 a.m. and noon, the outcomes were worse, with a 19% increase in overall mortality and a 59% jump in stroke-related deaths compared to early eaters.
Influence of Last Meal Timing
The study also examined the timing of the final meal. Contrary to popular belief, the lowest mortality risk was found in people who concluded their meals between 7 and 8 p.m. Individuals eating before 7 p.m. faced a 13% higher risk of death from any cause.
Late-night eating, particularly after midnight, significantly increased risks, with those participants experiencing a 27% rise in all-cause mortality and a 51% increase in heart disease-related deaths.
Effects on Life Expectancy
The research extended beyond mortality rates. It also estimated potential impacts on life expectancy. For adults aged 50 and older, having the first meal between 8 and 10 a.m. reduced life expectancy by nearly 0.9 years, while eating after noon was linked to a 2.5-year reduction.
Similarly, consuming the last meal before 7 p.m. shortened life expectancy by 1.2 years, and doing so after midnight correlated with a 2.4-year decrease.
Data and Study Methodology
Data was gathered from 31,044 adults aged 40 and older, participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2018. Participants provided 24-hour dietary records detailing their meal timings. The researchers linked this information to the National Death Index, tracking deaths until December 31, 2019. The average follow-up period was 8.6 years.
The authors caution that the study’s observational nature identifies associations rather than causation. Nevertheless, the findings suggest that meal timing might play a crucial role in healthy aging and disease risk discussions, alongside nutritional quality.
Research Reference: Wen Hu et al, “Meal timing and eating window with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and life expectancy: population-based cohort study,” European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2026. DOI: 10.1038/s41430-026-01796-1. Contact Newsweek editors: Kara Dolman and Gray R. Thomas.
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