Study: Does your lunch hour affect your health? | Life

MADRID, July 20 – New Spanish research has shown that eating one's evening meal earlier or leaving an interval of at least two hours before going to bed is associated with a risk less breast and prostate cancer. 19659003] Conducted by the Institute of Global Health of Barcelona (ISGlobal), a center supported by the Caixa Banking Foundation, the new study involved 621 prostate cancer patients and 1205 breast cancer patients as well as 872 men and 1321 women to see if the meal schedule was associated with the risk of both cancers.

Researchers asked participants about the timing of meals, sleep and chronotype – whether an individual exhibits a natural preference for morning or night activity. 19659005] Participants were also asked to complete a food frequency questionnaire to examine their eating habits and adherence to cancer prevention recommendations.

The results showed that participants 2 hours or more after dinner before bed had a 20% lower risk of breast or prostate cancer than those who were sleeping immediately.

The evening meal before 9 pm also had a protective effect comparable to the evening meal. after 22 hours

The positive effect of leaving a longer interval between dinner and sleep was also more pronounced among participants who adhered to cancer prevention recommendations and among those who were morning-type.

The study is the first to analyze the association previous research focusing instead on dietary habits, for example the effects of eating red meat, fruits and vegetables and the associations between l & # 39; 39, food intake and obesity, rather than the timing of food. 19659007] "Our study concludes that adherence to diurnal dietary habits is associated with a lower risk of cancer," commented lead author Manolis Kogevinas, adding that the results "underscore the importance of Evaluate the circadian rhythms in studies of diet and cancer. "

Dora Romaguera, the latest author of the study, also noted that," Other research at Humans are needed to understand the reasons behind these findings, but everything seems to indicate that the timing of sleep affects our ability to metabolize food. Experimental animal evidence has shown that timing of food intake has profound implications for metabolism and food health.

If the results are confirmed, Kogevinas adds that "these recommendations will have implications for cancer prevention recommendations. "

" The impact could be particularly important in crops like those in southern Europe, where people dine late.

The findings can be found published online in the International Journal of Cancer.-AFP-Relaxnews