When You Eat as Important as What You Eat
When You Eat as Important as What You Eat – To improve your heart health, you may need to change not just your diet but also the time of your meals.
Researchers at San Diego State University and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, found that by limiting the time span during which fruit flies could eat, they could prevent aging- and diet-related heart problems. They also found that another important factor involved in heart health is the gene that regulates the body’s circadian rhythm.
In the study, researchers used two groups of fruit flies. One group was allowed to feed on cornmeal all day, while the other group was given access to food only for 12 hours a day. For three weeks, researchers tested the flies for changes in body weight, sleep and heart physiology. They also observed how much food each group consumed. After three weeks, researchers found that the flies on a restricted feed-time schedule gained less weight, slept better, and had healthier hearts than the other group, though they ate about the same amount of food.
In other experiments, researchers found that the restricted feeding schedules not only improved heart health in young flies but also in older ones.
The results of this study also complement earlier research on the beneficial effects of time-restricted diet for dealing with obesity, metabolic diseases and type-2 diabetes in rodents.
Authors Girish Melkani and Satchidananda Panda say that an important take-away from the study is to cut down on late-night snacks.
Category: News
