Can eating time increase the risk of cancer?

Washington DC, July 21: Late dinners could increase the risk of bad and prostate cancer, finds new research.

The study included 621 prostate and 1205 bad cancer cases with 872 men and 1,321 controls of the female population. Participants were asked about meal times and completed a food frequency questionnaire.

Compared to individuals sleeping immediately after dinner, those who slept for two hours or more after dinner had a 20% reduction in the risk of bad and prostate cancer.

Similar protection was observed in individuals having supper before 9 pm compared to supper after 10 pm

The results underline the importance of badessing the body's internal clock – or Circadian rhythms – in studies on diet and cancer, and the need to develop dietary recommendations for cancer prevention that do not focus solely on the type and amount of food ingested.

"If the results are confirmed, they will have implications not to take into account the meal schedule," said lead author, Dr. Manolis Kogevinas. "The impact could be particularly significant in crops such as those from southern Europe where people tend to eat late. "

The study was published in the International Journal of Cancer.