Shafaqna English- New research from Mass General Brigham suggests that eating breakfast later in the day may be linked to depression, fatigue, sleep issues, and an increased risk of death among older adults.
The study, published in Communications Medicine, tracked nearly 3,000 UK adults over 20 years and found that meal timing shifts with age—breakfast and dinner are eaten later, and the daily eating window narrows.
Those who ate breakfast later showed higher rates of physical and mental health conditions and a greater mortality risk. Genetic night owls also tended to have delayed mealtimes. The researchers propose that monitoring meal timing could serve as a simple, early indicator of health issues in aging populations.
Lead author Dr. Hassan Dashti emphasized that consistent meal schedules may support healthy aging, especially as time-restricted eating grows in popularity. However, the effects might differ between older and younger adults.
Source: Mass General Brigham