A new study from Northwestern Medicine published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology shows that nighttime blood pressure decreased by 3.5 percent among participants who stopped eating at least three hours before bedtime.
Researchers also measured improved blood sugar regulation during the daytime, and participants’ heart rates decreased by 5 percent.
Participants did not change the number of calories they consumed. They simply extended their nighttime fasting period by about two hours.
How the trial was conducted
The study lasted 7.5 weeks and included 39 overweight adults between the ages of 36 and 75. About 80 percent of the group that changed their eating habits were women.
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Participants were divided into two groups. One fasted between 13 and 16 hours per day. The other maintained a fasting period of 11 to 13 hours.
Both groups also dimmed the lights three hours before bedtime.
Nearly 90 percent followed the plan throughout the study. According to the researchers, this suggests that the method is realistic to implement in everyday life.
More than calories
Previous studies show that only 6.8 percent of American adults from 2017 to 2018 had optimal cardiometabolic health.
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This increases the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
It is therefore not only about what and how much one eats. The timing of meals in relation to sleep may also affect the heart and the body’s metabolism.
Sources: SciTechDaily, and Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.
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