Having meals within a certain timeframe could improve the health of shift workers, according to a new study.
In the study, 150 firefighters from the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department were split into two groups, with half the group keeping to their normal eating routine and the other half asked to confine their consumption to a ten-hour period, between 09:00 and 17:00. Both of the groups were encouraged to stick to a Mediterranean diet.
After three months, the firefighters eating within a shorter time period saw an improvement in their blood pressure, cholesterol and blood-sugar levels, with no negative side effects from following this stricter routine.
This is good news for all those that work shifts, who are at greater risk of cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes, owing to the disruption to the body’s natural circadian rhythms that shift work causes.
Time-restricted eating may also benefit others who lose their night-time sleep, such as parents kept awake at night by a crying baby.
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