Philadelphia – For many people, there is a constant nagging inner monologue telling them to start a new diet or get back to the gym. However, some diets and fitness plans may do more harm than good. Whether it’s intermittent fasting, cutting out carbs, or the keto diet, new research is warning those who restrict their diet. , is associated with an increased risk of death among American adults over the age of 40.
According to the international team, skipping meals can negatively impact your health. Losing a few extra pounds can be fun, but skipping breakfast has been linked to an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Similarly, skipping lunch or dinner can generally increase the risk of death.
Meal timing also affects health. Researchers say that people who eat three meals a day should wait 4.5 hours between meals. Otherwise, you may be nearing death’s door.
“Suddenly intermittent fasting Widely touted as a solution for weight loss, metabolic health, and disease prevention, our study is significant for the majority of American adults who eat less than three meals each day. , found that people who ate only one meal a day were more likely to die than those who ate more,” said lead researcher Yangbo Sun. media release.
2 in 5 are on a diet
The researcher analyzed the responses and cause of death From over 24,000 American adults age 40 and older who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2014. diet For general health across the United States
Researchers found that people who ate less than three meals a day (about 40% of participants) were less educated, had lower incomes, food insecuritydrink more alcohol, smoke, and consume less energy overall.
“Our results were based on dietary and lifestyle factors (smoking, alcohol use, physical activity levelenergy intake, diet quality) and food insecurity,” adds Wei Bao, a senior researcher on the study.
Dr. Bao explains: skip meals It means you get more energy at once, and your body can lose its ability to metabolize glucose. This can impair your metabolism.
So the next time you’re thinking of jumping on the latest diet trend, think twice. Restricting the body’s food (and fuel) intake can have serious long-term consequences, and it’s more important than fitting jeans one size down for her.
of study is published in Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.