Night shift workers should take note.
A recent study suggests that night shift workers might be able to reduce their risk of heart-related health issues by limiting their food intake to daylight hours. According to findings published in Nature Communications on April 8, participants who ate only during the day, even while working night shifts, showed fewer indicators linked to cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Sarah Chellappa of the University of Southampton, the study’s lead author, emphasized that the researchers carefully controlled other variables, allowing them to confidently attribute the positive effects to meal timing. The research adds to growing evidence that working against the body’s natural circadian rhythms, such as staying awake at night, can increase the risk of heart problems.
To explore whether the timing of meals could reduce such risks, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston conducted a controlled two-week study with 20 healthy young adults. The participants stayed in a specially designed environment without access to clocks, windows, or electronic devices, which helped to eliminate any awareness of real-world time. The setup included 32 hours of wakefulness in dim lighting to disrupt their internal clocks, simulating conditions similar to night shift work.
Participants were divided into two groups: one that ate only during daytime hours, and another that ate according to a typical night shift schedule. Both groups followed identical nap patterns and consumed the same meals. Results showed that only those allowed to eat during the night exhibited increases in cardiovascular risk factors, while the daytime-only group remained stable despite experiencing the same sleep disruptions.
Though more extensive research is needed to validate the findings, the study points to a potential strategy for improving heart health among shift workers. The researchers concluded that aligning food intake with the body’s natural circadian rhythms—even if sleep patterns are disrupted—could be a simple yet powerful tool in lowering heart disease risk in people working irregular hours.
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