Eating breakfast late may be harmful to health, study reveals these people are more likely to delay meal times

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." This sentence may have scientific basis. Some studies have pointed out that the timing of breakfast and other meals may be closely related to the health and mortality risks of the elderly.

The later the breakfast, the higher the risk of death.

The research team tracked nearly 3,000 adults aged 42 to 94 for 22 years, recording their meal times, living habits, genetic information and health status. The results found:

. As they age, participants generally move their meals to a later date.

. The daily eating time is gradually shortened.

． The later you eat breakfast, the higher your risk of death.

When comparing groups who eat breakfast early and those who eat breakfast late, researchers found:

. The 10-year survival rate of those who eat breakfast early is about 90%

. About 87% of those who eat breakfast late

In addition, for every hour that breakfast is delayed, the risk of death increases by about 8–11%. Even if the study adjusts for factors such as age, gender, and lifestyle, the results still hold.

Why do you eat breakfast later and later?

Research points out that eating breakfast late is often not a single behavior, but reflects potential health changes. The following factors were more commonly seen in participants who ate breakfast later:

. Fatigue and decreased energy

. Depression, anxiety and other mental health problems

. Chronic diseases accumulate more

. Poor sleep quality

. Decreased ability to prepare food

. Genes tend to favor night owl schedules

In other words, a late breakfast may be a health warning, indicating that the physical or psychological condition is changing.

However, the researchers emphasized that this was an observational study, so it cannot prove that eating late breakfast will lead to early death. It's also possible that poorer health may delay breakfast and increase the risk of death.

In addition, the study focused on white British adults and relied on self-reported meal times, which may contain errors.

For older adults, observing changes in breakfast time may be a simple way to reflect health status, the study authors said. If breakfast is gradually dragging on, it might be worth paying attention to changes in your sleep, mood, or chronic illness.

While eating a late breakfast is not necessarily the primary cause of declining health, maintaining a regular, earlier breakfast habit may still be a simple step in supporting healthy aging.